


In the Magic Hour

by powderblew



Series: turquoise seas and ocean breeze [1]
Category: Naruto
Genre: BAMF Haruno Sakura, Day At The Beach, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Excessive Fluff, F/M, Haruno Sakura-centric, Hiraishin, I Keep Adding Tags, Minato's bad singing, Multiple Orgasms, Post-War, Team Minato-centric, because I cannot help myself, drunk shennanigans, healing and love, i do adore the way this came out, just love and love and love, kakashi's painting adventures, kamui fucks up and here we are, kareoke is the best stress reliever, minato can't build a crib, minato is a whole husband and you can't tell me otherwise YE, no beta we die like (wo)men, not plot heavy because im not about that life rn, obito's pet platypus, or the gods are just bored, rin's ax, sasuke and his rinnegan, small!kakashi is just a whole heart, smut heavy in the last few chaps, soft minato but strong and shinobi but still a sunshine is the best minato, this is my self-indulgent fic, to go or not to go, toss the kunai, wholesome love okay it's what we deserve, why? you may ask
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-16
Updated: 2020-05-11
Packaged: 2021-03-01 22:54:48
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 50,953
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23684983
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/powderblew/pseuds/powderblew
Summary: It's not perfect, but everything is beautiful. —Minato/Sakura
Relationships: Haruno Sakura & Namikaze Minato, Haruno Sakura & Team Minato, Haruno Sakura & Uchiha Sasuke, Haruno Sakura/Namikaze Minato
Series: turquoise seas and ocean breeze [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1799167
Comments: 413
Kudos: 1186
Collections: Gammily’s Bookshelf, Marvelous Tales, Naruto Wonderland, SakuraUnderratedPairings





	1. it's windy in the city

**Author's Note:**

> Look. You saw the tags. You clicked anyway. I don't have to justify myself to you. You knew what you were getting into and I apologize for nothing.

“I’m exhausted,” Sakura rests against the tree, fingers rubbing the back of her neck, watches Sai draw a dragon on his scroll and infuses chakra into the ink until it gallops towards Naruto.

“We have twenty minutes until you have to meet the Daimyo,” Sai says to Kakashi once Naruto rasengans his summon into oblivion, watching Sasuke from the corner of his eye.

“Don’t remind me,” Kakashi groans and then glances at his pink-haired student, “Are you sure you don’t want to take up the post as the Hokage’s administrator, Sakura-chan?”

Sakura snorts, “I had enough time playing assistant when Tsunade-sama was in office.”

“Worth a shot,”

Sasuke huffs.

Sai starts to draw again.

“Alright, last run Sakura-chan,” the Hokage claps his hands together, “You’ve gotten through the second-level of the sharingan, but now I’m going to activate the last part.”

“The Kamui?” Sasuke pauses and then looks at him in disbelief.

“If Sakura-chan can stop Susanoo with her bare hands, imagine what she can do if she can predict where each attack is going to come from,” Kakashi explains simply, though he sounds a bit crazed – she wonders if the lack of porn and high-amounts of stress has finally caused him to snap – and pulls up his headband.

“But you just started learning how to use Kamui,” Naruto has the nerve to point out.

Kakashi may be old, but he isn’t inept, “Naruto, you know each eye has different abilities. I was called a prodigy for a reason.”

The blonde snorts.

He really  _ did  _ hurt his feelings.

“And I  _ am  _ Hokage.”

Sakura can see the beginnings of a pissing match and decides to intervene before Naruto decides to let Kurama out for a run. She gets up, her shoulders ache and she’s thirsty, but one more run won’t kill her. “Fine, just don’t pull me into Ichiraku or the men’s hot spring or something.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it, Sakura-chan,” he smiles behind that stupid mask of his and she wonders if she should just run.

“Ready?”

Sai’s drawing is finished and he disperses chakra into the bird; Naruto might have to use his special shuriken for that, she thinks absently.

“Yes, sensei,” she gives a mock-salute and shifts her stance.

“Kamui—” his voice cuts off when he yelps, Sai’s bird attacks his face – because what kind of idiot keeps food in his jacket pocket? – and scratches the hell out of his eye.

And before she can get to him, there’s a vortex and she  _ knew  _ this was a bad idea. She screams out in alarm, “Kakashi-sensei—!”

Even  _ Sasuke _ isn’t fast enough to reach her in time because the speed of Kamui is just  _ unprecedented _ —

—she should’ve stayed home.

And it fades to black.

.

Minato stares at his students in minute amusement and a lot more exasperation, he huffs, “Obito, Kakashi— _ enough _ ! You guys are a team! You’re supposed to be working together, not going at each other’s throats. Do you think the answer to our training is just going to  _ fall _ out of the sky?”

But all the shinobi on the field can feel a hum of chakra—so swift and powerful that it nearly knocks Minato to his knees.

He looks up and the sky opens up like a chasm.

A black line, with crackles against the clouds and the blue lines, bleeds into black and then there’s a flash of pink.

A girl drops from the sky and onto the ground with a heavy thud.

Rin stares at her, “ _ Woah. _ ”

.

Once Sakura gets home, she’s going to  _ throttle  _ Kakashi. She’s always been terrified of free-falling – especially if no one is there to catch her – she holds the scream in her throat and pretends,  _ swears  _ she’s fine because she believes the more you lie to yourself, sooner or later that lie becomes the truth.

When she sees the blue of the sky and the smell of leaves, she is both relieved and terrified. She can’t lessen her fall because the chakra from the Kamui leaves her immobile and vulnerable, so Sakura closes her eyes and braces herself as she plunges onto the ground back first.

She groans at the solid rock beneath her spine and—

“How are you even  _ alive  _ from that drop?” A voice asks with amazement.

Sakura snaps her eyes open.

.

Minato stares at the Konoha nin – her headband glints like water ripples in the sun – he’s never met a shinobi with  _ pink  _ hair before; he thought red was strange, but pink is downright bizarre. He watches from the side, his kids are more than suspicious, but he needs to keep the perimeter, just in case.

The pink-haired woman blinks and then frowns at the small child, “Obito?”

Obito blinks, “Do I know you?”

“Sort of,” she answers and then winces when she is jostled by Kakashi. Kakashi who is quite frankly, adorable – he’s a kid and  _ what  _ – he’s all scowly and teenage; she’s supposed to be  _ mad  _ at him.

“Who are you?” he demands.

Minato sighs.

“Gods Kakashi, put that kunai away before you poke someone in the eye,” she grumbles to hide her surprise and pushes him back with two fingers, “I didn’t know you were a brat.”

Rin giggles at his scowl and then asks, “Here, let me help you. You need medical attention—”

“Seriously, it’s fine,” she waves her off and Minato has to raise a brow at her stupidity. She’s clearly broken some bones, is in pain, and she waves off medical attention? She winces again, sits up and doesn’t even perform a seal, but there is medical chakra running down the edges of her wounds and bones.

Minato’s eyes widen at her skill.

She sighs, her throat bare and open, “Much better.”

.

“That was amazing!” the brown-haired girl beams. She looks vaguely familiar, Sakura thinks back. What’s her name again—? Shin? Rin?

“Thanks, kid,” Sakura resists the urge to tussle her hair because damn, she’s  _ old, _ “It’s just basic medical ninjutsu.”

“But that’s not normal medical ninjutsu, is it?” the blonde— _ oh shit. _

Sakura’s eyes widen as she takes in the Fourth Hokage.

“You didn’t even perform a seal, you targeted the wounds and bones with chakra control. How else were you supposed to heal yourself? You didn’t even use your hands and I only know one person who knows how to do that. Tsunade-hime hasn’t been in the village for some time,” he narrows his eyes. “Are you a Senju?”

“Do you not see the headband?” she shoots back with irritation, later she’ll feel guilty for snapping at him, but right now she feels like she’s been sent through a cheese grater from training. She’s been shot through a space-time ninjutsu with no way of getting back and she’s _hungry._ Sakura emphasizes sarcastically, “ _Shinobi_ of the Leaf.”

“I’ve never seen you before,” Minato answers calmly.

“And you know every shinobi in the village?” she asks in disbelief.

“Yes,” he says simply.

She mutters underneath her breath; he can hear her, but he chooses not to comment, “Unbelievable.”

.

Sakura walks to the Hokage’s Tower determined to get back to her own time. She supposes that the Third may not believe her – well she hopes he believes her because she has no other choice and quite frankly, this time period scares her – but, if she offers some proof, her Yin seal for one or—or maybe her slug summon, he will believe her.

It doesn’t help that the Fourth is hot on her heels.

So she stops abruptly, half-nervous, half-irritated, turns and faces him with a scowl, “Is there a reason you’re following me?”

“Making sure you’re not a foreign nin here to attack the village,” the blonde answers seriously.

He gets points for being a model shinobi, but he loses her respect with the suspicion in his gaze.

She  _ get _ s it, she really does, but there’s only so much claustrophobia she can take.

“Don’t you have a team to teach?”

He shrugs, “They’re on break.”

Sakura decides that she really can’t wait and uses shunshin to reach into the tower.

.

Sakura stares at the door for a moment and then rubs the back of her neck. With Minato practically breathing down her neck, she knocks twice on the door before poking her head in and asks in all her Kakashi-like glory, “Ah, can I ask for an audience, Hokage-sama?” she looks pointedly at the ANBU guards, “In private?”

Hiruzen raises a brow and dismisses his guards, he can sense Minato next to her and that’s enough of a guard for him.

Speaking of which, Minato makes it a point to press open the door next to her, his shoulder brushes the short strands of her bob and he stands beside her in the space of the doorway. She glares at him before stomping into the office.

Hiruzen sets a sound barrier.

“I can’t say I’ve seen you before, nin-san,” he says politely but the accusation is heavy in the air and Minato stiffens next to her.

She bites the inside of her cheek and tries to remain calm, “You probably won’t, until maybe a year or so.”

The Third blinks.

She sighs, “My name is Sakura Haruno. I am a Jounin of the Leaf and I’ve gotten caught in a space-time ninjutsu.”

Minato gives her his full attention, but she doesn’t look in his direction.

“A space-time ninjutsu, you say?” The Third repeats and stares at her yin seal, “How far along?”

“How old is Obito?”

“Eleven,” Minato says slowly.

“About twenty years into the future then,” she shrugs her anxiety away, “Give or minus a year. Look I know it’s a longshot but—”

“I see,” The Third sighs and suddenly, he looks very old.

.

“Make sure Tsunade-sama gets this as soon as possible.” Sakura reminds her for the nth time, tying the scroll to her tail. She hates herself for acting like this, treating Katsuyu like a child, but the anxiety and nerves are starting to catch up to her, “Or Shikamaru.”

“How about Kakashi-san?”

Her eyebrow twitches and she’s hasty when she speaks, “No. It’s  _ his  _ fault that I’m out here. If he wasn’t so keen on using us as practice dummies, I wouldn’t even be here!”

“Kakashi did this?” Minato interjects from the corner of the room.

Katsuyu’s eyes widen in recognition.

“You’re taking this surprisingly well, Sakura-san,” The Third notes with an eyebrow, “I’d expect hysteria and maybe a bit of tears too, from anyone for that matter.”

“This isn’t the first time I’ve traveled to another time period,” she says dryly, “Or dimension.”

Or maybe she’s just waiting for a complete nervous breakdown.

Minato just stands there stupefied.

.

There’s a lot of information to process, she thinks. Settling into an apartment isn’t just realistic for her at the moment, because this is temporary, she believes. The Hokage tells her, that it is imperative that she conceals her identity from everyone, if they ask, she is a shinobi who has gotten back from a very, very  _ long  _ mission.

It’s the gist of the matter. 

Only those of Minato’s team, the ones who know where she comes from, know her identity because it would be impossible to hide from. She butters up to Kakashi – even though she desires to wring the older version’s neck – and he allows her, quite gruffly, to stay in one of the houses in the Hatake compound.

She wouldn’t tease him, but she can’t help but ruffle his hair when she realizes that he picks the house closest to him.

Kakashi is just  _ too  _ cute.

.

“This is what I look like?” Kakashi’s eyes widen as he takes in Sakura’s team photo. She has both photos: the old, pre-teen picture that’s beaten up and faded at the edges, and the new one, with Sai, Yamato, Sasuke and Kakashi in his Hokage robes.

Though she doesn’t show him that one, at least not yet.

“Your hair is just longer and your nose is always stuck in a porn book,” she snorts.

Rin flushes brightly, “He— _ what? _ ”

“Kakashi-sensei is a whole pervert,” Sakura raises a brow combatively, “And he reads porn. Religiously. I’m determined to figure out the culprit who gave him this habit, however.”

“Hah! Kakashi’s a pervert!” Obito laughs loudly, ignoring his scowl, he focuses on the picture, “You’re pretty with long hair, Sakura-sensei.”

Sakura didn’t want to join Minato’s team, to be honest; it’s just a little too  _ weird  _ for her and out of her comfort zone. But Rin needs a teacher and she couldn’t let her  _ die  _ when that mission came. Kakashi didn’t necessarily need his sharingan, but she needs Obito’s Kamui to go home and she couldn’t tell him  _ that. _

“It wasn’t exactly practical at that time,” she responds and brushes the ends of her hair in a thoughtful manner.

“Did you accidentally set it on fire?” Kakashi comments bitingly.

There are shadows in her eyes, Minato sees. He scolds Kakashi with a look but doesn’t say anything otherwise. There is something—something  _ odd  _ about her. She’s young, he knows, but there is something  _ odd  _ about her, something  _ ancient,  _ and prophetic. He cannot put his finger on it, but it’s awkward and nerve-wracking to be around her.

“No,” Sakura says, but it doesn’t bother her when she says, “A rogue-ninja, grabbed me by the hair and threatened the lives of my teammates.”

The trio falls in silence.

“I wasn’t very strong at the time. We had just made Genin six months prior to this assignment,” she wouldn’t explain that exam and the Third Hokage’s murder because that’s just a fuck up waiting to happen. “My teammates were beaten badly. I had to find shelter and keep them safe. Take care of them until they were better,” she sighs. “Then one of the ninja got past my traps and we fought. He grabbed me by my hair and told me that he was going to have  _ fun  _ killing my teammates. I took a kunai and sliced my hair off.”

Rin looks horrified.

“I learned that day,” Sakura attempts to finish, avoiding Minato’s eyes – because this is his philosophy – and puts the picture back in her pouch, “That my teammates are my family and I have to do everything I can to protect my family and my village, and long hair just didn’t cut it.”

.

“Those ninja,” Minato starts off when he concludes training and his students have disappeared to do what pre-teens do, “Were they from Iwa?”

Sakura looks at him shrewdly, “No. The war ended long before.”

“Can I ask where this mission took place?” he asks curiously.

“It wasn’t a mission,” she says firmly, but her anxiety peaks inwardly.

Minato’s eyes narrow and determines, “It was an exam.”

_ Fake it till you make it, Sakura. _

“Yes.”

“Chunin,” he confirms.

She nods.

And then he winces, “How old were you?”

“Almost thirteen,” Sakura thinks and then shrugs, “Kakashi-sensei was…ambitious.”

“You mean reckless,” Minato says evenly.

Her lips quirk upwards, “Not much has changed then.”

.

“One of the reasons, Sakura-san,” Hiruzen starts off, “Why I didn’t have you restrained when you entered the Hokage Tower, why I didn’t have ANBU incapacitate the moment you walked into my office, why I do not have a guard shadowing your every movement, is because of your chakra.”

Sakura blanches at the tone, the chakra that switches from hostility to something calmer, makes her wince because no one should ever underestimate the Hokage. “My chakra, sir?”

“It feels like Kizashi,” his eyes wrinkle when he smiles, “You’re his girl, hm?”

She chuckles sheepishly, “Yes, sir.”

“Mebuki isn’t pregnant,” Minato blinks; she forgets that he’s there.

Sakura ignores him though, “What was the other reason?”

“Minato,” Hiruzen says his name like it’s the answer to all his problems.

And in some way, it is.

She almost rolls her eyes but holds her temper.

The Hokage pulls out his crystal ball from his box and places it on the cushion that sits on top of his desk. He starts, “This is my tracker. The user can see the current activities of anyone whose chakra signature they know, regardless of the location and obstructions. It’s ideal for intelligence gathering. I figure that even though we do not have anyone in the village who knows any space-time ninjutsu – you said that the sharingan brought you here, correct? – I thought we could at least see the effects of you in this dimension.”

Sakura glances at Minato and then asks, “Is it okay for,” she points at the blonde, “Him to be here? I don’t want to mess up the timeline.”

“You being here already disrupts the flow,” Hiruzen doesn’t mince words.

Sakura wants to wince, but this is  _ Kakashi _ ’s fault, “I guess, we can start with sensei?”

The Third nods in approval.

The tōmegane no jutsu spins with clouds as chakra is added to the glass and both Sakura and Minato peer into the crystal. They see Kakashi – student Kakashi – sleeping under a willow tree, a book on top his head and a pug near his foot.

“You know Kakashi as a kid, Hokage-sama,” Minato points out after a moment, “Not as an adult.”

Hokage-sama looks pointedly at Sakura and then grimaces, “Looks like it’s up to you, Sakura-san.”

“Er, how do I…” she looks at the crystal ball suspiciously, “Just put chakra in it?”

“Chakra and thought,” Minato answers for him, “Half of a tenth, think of Kakashi and—”

The image changes again, but instead Kakashi is in his house, making himself tea and a riceball.

“Wait, let me try something,” Sakura interrupts herself, her hand rubs the red Kyuubi mark hidden behind her armband, and then she pulses a spark of green chakra.

The image changes and her favorite blonde appears in the clouds.

“Naruto!” she grins and gets closer to the crystal—she ignores Minato’s startle and watches.

_ “—sensei! What do you mean you can’t find, Sakura-chan?” Naruto’s scowl is ferocious, “You use Kamui all the time, even when we spar!” _

_ “I’ve been ripping into portals for two weeks, Naruto,” Kakashi replies, sitting behind the Hokage’s desk. “I don’t know which portal she fell into. Remember the dimensions we were in? Or when you met Menma? If I didn’t lose sight of her—” he runs his hand through his hair and breathes, “And Sasuke, did he find anything?” _

Sakura flinches at that.

_ “Sasuke’s rinnegan takes a lot out of him. Even though he can travel through dimensions if he doesn’t know what period Sakura-chan is in or where she is in that dimension it’s useless. We don’t know when time starts and we don’t know when it ends.” _

The cloud pulls back.

“Rinnegan?” Hiruzen exclaims with wide eyes, “This Sasuke person has the rinnegan?”

Sakura winces, “It’s a long story, Hokage-sama. One that I don’t have the details of.”

Minato interjects, “But it exists?”

“Yes,”

The Third sighs, “Looks like you’re stuck for some time, then.”

.

“It’s fine,” Sakura giggles hysterically, she’s drinking herself stupid in her own home because the alternative is to sob like a child and she doesn’t want to wake up with puffy eyes for her first shift at the hospital tomorrow. “I’m perfectly fine.”

Kakashi watches her from the counter with concern knitting his forehead, “Er, Sakura-sensei, maybe you should slow down.”

“Why?” she shrugs violently, “I feel  _ great _ !”

“But you’re drunk!” Obito exclaims.

And she shoots him a glare, “This all your fault, you know!”

“I thought it was Kakashi’s!” he pouts.

“But it was  _ your  _ sharingan!”

Obito’s jaw drops.

“What do you mean it was Obito’s?” Minato enters the house through the window, Rin hot on his heels and she looks worried.

“I said what I said,” she yanks on her hair, grabs her jug of sake and stumbles into her room.

Minato stares in her direction for a very long moment, then, uncharacteristically, he huffs and swipes the left side of his face in irritation. His students stare at him in shock, unused to his sudden burst of frustration.

“I’ll take care of this,” he tells them roughly. “Go home.”

They disappear, though Kakashi is slower.

.

“Sakura, get off the table,”

“No!”

“You’ll break it,” he warns.

She snorts, “I won’t, so you can— _ woah! _ ”

.

Sakura wakes up on Minato’s chest and she realizes that there are shades of mortification. More so than shadows, even when she squeaks in embarrassment because  _ what the fuck.  _ Her head aches, the sudden pull of nausea puts her back on her knees and she twists until she’s curled into a ball.

He was asleep; she could’ve gotten up and saved herself the embarrassment, but the Gods are out to get her.

She swears on Ino’s prized peonies.

Minato awakens to her groan. Her fetal position on the floor almost makes him feel sorry for her, but instead, he sighs and tosses the empty sake jug into nearby garbage. He brings her a glass of water and some painkillers he has stashed in his back pocket.

“Here,” he gives her the pill.

She peers at him through the cracks in her hand and then takes the pill; she dry swallows and Minato has to fight a frown. He passes her the glass of water and watches as she drinks from the cup, carefully.

“What are you doing here?” Sakura rubs her temples with her fingers and groans again.

“Rin was worried,” Minato answers after a moment, he crosses his arms and furrows his brows. “She came and got me. She thought you were going to give yourself alcohol poisoning.”

She snorts and points to her seal, “Who do you think my mentor is?”

He looks at her.

“I can’t believe you thought I was a Senju,” Sakura almost laughs. “I don’t think any of them have pink hair.”

“The Second had white hair.”

“You may have a point,” she comments thoughtfully.

“It was irresponsible of you to worry my students like that,” Minato tries to center himself because he needs to—to fix this dynamic; he can’t have her running reckless like this. He may not trust her, but his students do and even though he supervises nearly all of their meetings, their safety is  _ his  _ priority. “You put them in a situation where they could’ve been hurt—”

“Your students are smart enough and strong enough to take care of themselves,” she interrupts him and is almost angry when she finishes. “I’d never put them in danger and I most certainly would never hurt them,” she pauses, “On purpose, but that’s beside the point. Why did you stay?”

Minato blinks, “Stay?”

“The night,” Sakura clarifies, “You could’ve left. Left me to wallow in my misery and wake up with a hangover as my punishment for overindulging. But you stayed. Why?”

He is incredulous, “What if you had hurt yourself?”

“Drunk?”

“Cut yourself on the jar or something? I wouldn’t leave you unprotected or vulnerable.”

“I’m a medic; I think I’d be okay if it came to that,” she shrugs, “But thanks anyway. That…was considerate of you.”

He swallows and tries to change the subject, her sudden sincerity makes him uncomfortable, “Is that what you were doing?”

She blinks lazily, “What?”

“Wallowing in your misery?”

“Drinking is much better than crying, isn’t it?”

Minato doesn’t answer.

.

Sakura hates the hospital.

It’s a sentence she never thought she’d say.

Konoha’s hospital, before Tsunade-sama’s arrival, is in a word, chaotic.

The filing system is horrendous. There are files, medical records and reports mismatched or misplaced. The medics have basic training, but with the war happening, they aren’t able to receive the advanced training that they need to keep up with time-consuming and intricate surgeries.

The medical supplies are, at least, well-stocked.

Somewhere in between high noon, making a supervisor cry and demolishing a part of the ICU, Sakura lays on the bench on top of the roof. It brings back memories, painful and good. The one where Naruto and Sasuke almost ends her life is the one that makes her shiver with discomfort.

“I heard you made a few people cry,” The Hokage is quiet when he appears on the roof, even quieter when he takes a seat beside her. “You truly are Tsunade-chan’s apprentice.”

Sakura sits up abruptly and smiles sheepishly, “Sorry about that, Hokage-sama. I,” she looks around, “Is Minato here?”

“Is he supposed to be?”

“Doesn’t he shadow you?”

“Sometimes,” Hiruzen shrugs. “I left him with some of the Elders. Even Hokages need a break.”

“It’s good practice, isn’t it?” she says slyly.

Hiruzen almost grins.

.

Sakura had never really been close with the Third Hokage growing up. She saw him as a kind, old man, one who loved his village and the people in it. She most certainly did not agree with most of his policies and decisions that he’s made for the citizens – Naruto mainly – but he checks up on her almost daily.

Her arrival throws everything into a bit of a loop. There’s mainly suspicion, doubt, and the occasional scorn, but that mellows out within a month.

The only thing that doesn’t change is Minato.

.

"So?" Shikaku raises a brow, his fingers roll over the edge of his desk and contemplates the way Minato's face mars into something like confusion. "You don't need to know everyone, Minato."

"I don't know how to talk to her," he says suddenly, "She's just  _ different. _ "

Chouza blinks, "Do you  _ like  _ her? Or something?"

The blonde stammers, "I—I don't even know her!" He scratches the back of his head and continues, "The Hokage put her on my team, I didn't even know that was possible."

Minato doesn't reveal her identity, but he still isn't comfortable with her. Even though he doesn't deem her a threat, that doesn't mean she's not dangerous nor is she someone he considers a friend or comrade. His classmates—friends really, are the only people he could come to in times of peril or, in this case, bewilderment.

"Two teachers on a team?" Shikaku asks he thinks for a moment. "It's not very likely, but it does happen. Remember when we were recruited for ANBU, we had Boar and Snake as our leaders? It can happen. I mean it's still team Minato, right? It hasn't changed?"

"Not to my knowledge, no," Minato replies dryly.

"Plus, it's been a month," Inoichi joins in. "You need to get over it Minato," then he looks at him. "Why haven't we met her, yet?"

“She works in the hospital. She’s the one who took care of Akira, Tsume and Kei,” Minato supplies, he grabs his cup of tea and looks into the jasmine. “She’s on par with Tsunade-sama, apparently.”

Fugaku looks interested, “Really?”

The blonde’s expression doesn’t change, “Her apprentice.”

“I thought she only had one,” Shikaku offers with a frown.

“So did I.”

.

“Are you Sakura-san?” A woman with indigo-colored hair pops into her new office – one that the Hokage gifted her after saving a slew of Jounin from a rare poison. She has a small smile on her face, “Tsume-chan sent me to get you.”

Sakura blinks slowly, “Who?”

“Tsume-chan?” she frowns and tries again. “Inuzuka-san?”

“Oh!” she sits up abruptly. “Sorry, it’s been a long day,” and then shakes puts her files into the drawer of her desk. “Is she alright? In pain? I told her to take it easy.”

The dark-haired woman shakes her head quickly and assures her, “No, she’s fine. She just wanted to buy you dinner to show her appreciation.” She pauses, “All of the girls will be there.”

Sakura stares at her and then laughs nervously, “It’s not really necessary—”

“She said to take you by any means necessary,” her smiles sharpens. When she comes closer, Sakura notices the lavender of her eyes, the fluidity in her steps and the elegance in her posture.

A Hyuuga.

“Right,” Sakura forgets to take off her medical coat, “Lead the way, Hyuuga-san.”

“It’s Hikari, Sakura-san.”

.

“—then I told the fucker if he even  _ thinks  _ of wagging that sausage he calls a dick in my face, I’d chop it off!” Tsume laughs hysterically, her bandaged fists banging the table and Sakura has to fight back a wince.

“It’s the drugs,” the time-traveler whispers to Yoshino who tries not to giggle.

“This really happened on the mission?” Mikoto blinks with disbelief.

“You can even ask Akira!”

“He really took off his pants and waved penis at you,” Sakura tries to make it sound as clinical as possible because all she wants to do is laugh.

“It was a sex ring, Sakura-chan!”

.

“You look happy,” Kakashi comments when he notices her carrying quite a few shopping bags, “And those are a lot of bags.”

“Why thank you Kakashi,” Sakura replies sarcastically, “I am so grateful that you came to help.”

He rolls his eyes, “You’re a jounin, you’re more than capable of helping yourself.”

“That doesn’t mean I don’t like it when people offer me help,” she chides back. “It’s called having manners.”

“Must’ve missed the lesson.”

Sakura tosses an empty shoebox at him.

“I thought you said staying here was temporary,” Kakashi follows her into the house, she puts her bags in the corner of the room and grabs a glass of water. “That’s a lot of things to carry back.”

“I can’t exactly wear the same clothes over and over again,” Sakura tells him, she’s been wearing her medical coat to cover up her clan symbol, but it’s been a month and she can’t keep wearing the same pieces of clothing over and over again, sans her leisure and nightwear. It starts to wear out after a certain amount of time.

Kakashi tilts his head.

“And, I met the girls today. You know Tsume, Mikoto, Yoshino, and Hikari,” she smiles lightly at the memory. “They took me shopping.”

It’s a bit of normalcy, Kakashi thinks.

“Minato-sensei told them,” he blurts out, then winces at his tact; he didn’t mean for it to come out like that. He just wants it, this tension, to stop being awkward, “To visit you. Said that you haven’t been back to the village in a long time and wanted you to stop working so hard.”

Sakura stiffens, “What?”

.

“I mean you haven’t even attended a team training session since that one time,” Kakashi tries to cover up for his sensei’s thoughtfulness. “He thinks that you’re working too much and that you should take a break.”

“So he sent them to  _ spy  _ on me?” she flushes with irritation.

“He sent them to make sure you have friends to rely on and not burn yourself out.”

.

“The eggplants aren’t finished yet, Hatake!”

A slap.

“Sakura-sensei!”

She tells him much later that night, “And the reason I didn’t attend your training sessions is because he didn’t tell me when and where to go!”

.

Kakashi gives her the directions, the time and instructions on what to bring to the training ground. Obito and Rin’s surprise is visible when she walks towards them and it makes her feel the tiniest bit guilty.

“Sakura-sensei!” Rin smiles up at her and the guilt churns in her.

_ Dammit. _

“Rin-chan,” she pats her head, “I hear you’ve been practicing diligently.”

She nods and Obito whines, “What about me, Sakura-sensei?”

“I heard you fell out of a tree,” she deadpans. “Aren’t you supposed to be a ninja?”

Kakashi snickers.

“You jack—”

“How nice of you to show up, Sakura-san,” Minato joins the group on the grass, his shoulders brushing hers as he takes a stance next to Rin.

Surprisingly, it is Kakashi who comes to her aid, “She would’ve shown up sooner if you told her where and when to meet up,  _ sensei _ .”

The expression he makes is the same one Naruto makes when she swings a tree with her two fingers.

.

“Sorry about that,” Minato walks with them to Ichiraku, Obito already planning on swallowing at least three bowls of pork and a plate of gyoza, “I thought you had known.”

“We haven’t exactly spoken since that night,” she points out and takes a seat away from the kids. “You’ve been kind of MIA.”

“Missions,” that’s his excuse, he sits next to her – forces himself really – and grabs a pair of chopsticks, “Shadowing the Hokage.”

“If you say so,” Sakura won’t take it personally, it is a weird situation, but at the same time, they—he would have to learn to coexist with her.

Minato furrows his brows, “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Sakura breathes a laugh and grabs a gyoza with deft fingers, “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were avoiding me.”

.

Minato does not know how to deal with confrontation. It is a pure and simple fact. He can mediate, dictate, and resolve political, domestic, and commercial issues, but when the problem is directed at himself, he just doesn’t know what to do. Out of balance, out of orbit, he is stumbling through his thoughts and that just isn’t what he  _ does _ , “I’m not avoiding you.”

Sakura snorts and takes another gyoza, “Please. I have enough experience knowing when I’m being  _ ignored. _ ”

She aced the exam with Sasuke, of course.

“I’m not ignoring you,” he repeats firmly, “I have been busy.”

“Right,” she shrugs, orders miso and smiles at a young Ayame, “Look it’s not a big deal. I get it.”

“Get what?” Minato asks with a lilt of exasperation.

“That you don’t trust me,” Sakura looks at him then and her eyes are almost glowing, he notices; they aren’t a true emerald, but sea-foam dipping into aqua, and they hold him with a grip that has the insides of him  _ shaking. _

She inhales and leans over the counter then, “It’s understandable. I’m a shinobi whom you have no background experience with and by background experience I mean  _ familiarity.  _ I didn’t grow up with you, not like nearly all the shinobi you’re comrades and friends with. That’s what you meant when you said you know  _ all the shinobi in the village _ and when you told Shikaku  _ you didn’t know how to speak to me.” _

His mouth parts, ears tinge red, and he hisses “How do you know that?”

“Yoshino talks too,” she chuckles when he scowls and says, “I’ll give you some advice – it relates to girl-talk so you can take notes if you want – you obviously need some help in that area,” Sakura snickers when his face burns brighter. “If you want to be Hokage, you can’t know everyone. Not everyone will want to be your friend and you will find yourself on uneven ground more times than you can count.”

“Are you patronizing me, Sakura?” Minato drops the honorific the moment she starts a lecture and it startles her for a moment.

She blinks away the nerves and replies, “Again, advice.”

“Hokage advice, you say.”

“No,” Sakura takes her ramen to go and pays before Minato can blink, “Advice on how to speak to  _ me.” _

.

“The Tales of the Utterly Gutsy Shinobi?” Minato repeats the words and looks at his master with disbelief.

“You wanted advice kid,” Jiraiya says solemnly and tosses him the book, “ _Educate_ yourself.”

.

Even though Minato doesn’t know how to talk to Sakura, Sakura doesn’t know how to act around him. She would like to be his friend, but he’s—there are no words to describe his behavior.

She knows his Naruto’s father, he’s the Hokage, or was or will be. She slams her head on the countertop and huffs. She wants to be polite and cordial, but the way he looks at her, like she’s a specimen under a microscope, just grinds her gears.

And he’s also, really,  _ really  _ pretty—

“Sakura-sensei!” Rin breaks her out of her thoughts, she appears on her windowsill with a new holster. “I finished my first hospital shift!”

—which is really not all  _ that _ important.

.

“Land of the Sea?” Minato repeats with a strange look on his face. “Is that a good idea? To go? Especially since we’re at—”

“—war?” Shikaku finishes for him with a raised brow.

“It’s a scouting mission,” Hiruzen almost rolls his eyes, he’s  _ Hokage  _ for Gods’ sake, he knows what he’s doing. “We need the funds and all you need to do is look for a scroll.”

“What kind of scroll?” Shikaku asks.

“A medical one,” he replies. Minato’s eyes shift to Sakura – he files that piece of information for later – and reads off the list on his desk, “Herbs. The person who is funding this mission is in need of some rare herbs for his sick granddaughter. Apparently this scroll is full of herbs, but it has been stolen by many people over the years. The merchant is desperate.”

“How do we know the herbs are in this scroll?” Chouza inquires.

“We don’t,” The Third admits, “I was tempted to have Sakura-san look over her, but she said that she would still need the herbs to heal her, the ones listed on the scroll if his granddaughter’s diagnosis is correct.”

“You could do a diagnosis on the patient before we leave,” Shikaku points out.

“I could,” Sakura muses, “But it wouldn’t matter. The herbs in the scroll can heal nearly anything. Even if I did diagnose her, she would still need the herbs to stop the spread. Regardless of her stage and symptoms, when those herbs – powerful and rare as they are – make contact with her bloodstream her antibodies will take care of the rest.”

.

“So you’re the infamous Sakura,” Shikaku drawls out, he fingers the edge of his kunai strap and smiles wryly. “Yoshino tells me you’re a hardass.”

Sakura snorts, “She’s not wrong.”

Chouza laughs, “What year did you graduate? I can’t believe we missed a nin with pink hair.”

Minato turns to look at her.

“A few years after you,” Sakura makes it a point to look more interested in her leather gloves, fingers tightening over the straps. “I had enrolled in the medical program almost instantly and then I met Tsunade-sama there. I had to beg her to take me on as an apprentice.”

“What about your team?” Shikaku asks curiously.

“Abandoned after the chunin exams,” she winces. “It wasn’t a good thing. Tsunade-sama took me traveling with her after, but when I came back Hokage-sama told me to go back to her and train. I had other assignments, of course. It took almost ten years.”

“Of traveling?” Chouza exclaims.

“Basically,” Sakura nods and then shrugs, “But I was also scouting and doing a lot of intelligence work. Hokage-sama thought it was a good idea to have a shinobi patrolling the area and level out the playing field.”

“I wish I could travel for a while,” Chouza hums, “It sounds freeing.”

.

Sakura is a terribly good liar, Minato notes.

Tsunade must teach her a lot more than medical ninjutsu; he had noticed that during their training sessions, Sakura never once went on the offense, but she would use her chakra scalpel like a blade.

Sakura is both magnificent and horrifying at the same time.

Because she could heal and cause inconceivable pain.

.

When they reach Hahajima, the main island, they need to take a boat to reach Jiro. It would’ve been fine to run there, but the water is unpredictable now that it’s monsoon season.

So they take a boat and Sakura’s new outfit is plenty distracting. She wears simple black shinobi pants and an off-shoulder kimono top, the sleeves reach the ends of her wrists and when the spray of water from the boat hits her, it sticks to her skin like a leech.

It’s just  _ distracting. _

She scowls and huffs, Chouza laughs when her hair slaps her in the face and Shikaku manages to swallow his chuckle when the water shoots up her nose.

But then things get bad when the pirates decide to ambush their ship.

.

Minato, is monikered the Yellow Flash for a reason. He is bright like lightning, twice as fast, and just as dangerous. Sakura watches him almost in awe, even as she swings a man into the ocean without batting a lash. Nothing can touch him, but he can touch everyone.

There is a limit, she recognizes.

In the boat, he has limited access to space. The mechanics of using the Hiraishin within this space depends on the angle of the boat and how the terrain can work to his advantage. The thing is, it’s a moving vessel, the boat churns and sways. Minato can’t put his seal everywhere and the ground is  _ wet. _

So when Minato uses the Hiraishin to cut into a pirate’s lightning jutsu, he steps into the stream of water laying on the floor of the boat and Sakura moves without thinking.

“Minato,” Sakura exclaims, but she doesn’t stop, not until she fists the back of his shirt, pulls him back – his eyes widen and exhales roughly – and shoves a foot into the pirate’s stomach that sends him back to land with a speed that even the Second couldn’t catch.

Minato stares at her with incredulity and before he can ask _what the_ _hell_ she’s doing—she points to the ground.

“Water is a conductor, you dolt,” she hisses out. Though she is not standing in the water, she’s still damp, the lightning makes her skin extra sensitive – even though she used her own chakra to lessen the sting – and she fumes, “For someone who’s a candidate for Hokage, you sure are careless.”

And this is how Sakura earns Minato’s trust.


	2. pretty that night

“It’s metal-based,” Sakura comments, green blends into blue as she moves closer to her stomach, “It’s chronic, isn’t it? How long as she had this?”

The merchant looks nervous, “A few years. It’s on and off.”

“What is it?” Shikaku asks and makes note of the way her fingers dig into the space where one of her kidneys should be. It doesn’t make sense for the disease to affect the urinary system, but the Nara is no medic.

“A poison, but it doesn’t seem intentional judging by the damage,” she says with furrowed brows, “But this is a fairly developed area. Is she allergic to anything? Any childhood accidents?”

Minato watches as Sakura questions the merchant, her finger never once leaving the merchant’s granddaughter—it’s like breathing. Healing is natural to her, she assesses and sees pathogens, molecules that dip and disperse between the flow of chakra. It’s the fluidity in her moves that make him question just how advanced her skills are.

“Mercury,” she murmurs, “The reason why it’s on and off, is probably the change in seasons. The environment can cause different reactions. The sun, the water and the food we eat. This disease is treatable, but it can come back if she is exposed to more factories and fumes. Her immune system just isn’t made for that type of air. The herbs in the scroll will do nicely, she won’t have any side effects.”

The merchant’s expression lights up, “You can fix it?”

“Yes,” Sakura nods and then decides to tell him, “You really didn’t need the herbs though, the only real difference it makes is the lack of side effects,” she unseals the scroll, “The only thing I do recommend is moving to a different place. An area like this will do more good than harm.”

.

Sometimes, she understands the drastic measures in which people take to protect their family, their children, but still, she wonders about efficiency. The merchant’s granddaughter has been sick for at least ten years, the toxicity of the mercury has damaged her kidneys, causing a slow, clotting of the blood, pulling the edges of her blood cells into shapes of crumpled pieces of papers.

Sakura isn’t sure if the medics – in this time period at least – know how to extract poison and reverse the damage in the kidneys. It is Tsunade-sama’s technique, even when she orders her teammates to hold down the child as she extracts the poison into a ball and drops it into a bowl.

The granddaughter has been in pain for a very long time and she wonders why the merchant didn’t offer the mission sooner.

There is screaming, cringing and a little bit of blood. Chouza looks like he might faint and Shikaku grimaces until his eyebrows dip into a smile when the little girl vibrates in his arms. Minato is composed, hands steady and she doesn’t know if it’s deliberate – she thinks it’s vengeful and indulgent – but she brushes his hands when she pushes the chakra higher into her sternum and her hair brushes his nose as she yanks the remaining toxin into her hand.

“I’ll need some bandages,” Sakura instructs the merchant and then pauses, “And some tea. Preferably jasmine.”

.

Chouza laughs when she drinks the tea first.

After a long tussle with the pirates, a trek around the island, boat-hopping, a poison extraction technique, making an antidote and all the while ensuring that Minato isn’t electrocuted by lightning—Sakura _damn well_ believes she deserves a cup of tea.

After downing a cup, she pours the antidote into another and helps the granddaughter drink.

“I’ve made enough to cover a month. Drink the elixir once a day with tea and you’ll be good as new,” Sakura explains and then looks pointedly at the merchant, “Fresh air will be good too.”

.

“These are _amazing,”_ Sakura groans, her teeth pull out the rest of mochi from the skewer, then she pulls out another stick of dango from her box, “Kinako dango, I haven’t had these _since_ I was a kid!”

“Sakura-san, you literally swallowed three boxes,” Chouza looks a little faint, the amount of sugar and carb intake the small woman ingests is enough to make his head spin, even _he_ wouldn’t consume that much sugar in less than an hour.

“But it’s dango, Chouza-san!”

“Yoshino prefers hanami,” Shikaku says thoughtfully and then sighs, “I should buy her a box or I’ll never hear the end of it.”

Taro island has the Blue Moon Festival, Minato decides to cash in the offer of room and board from the merchant, based on Shikaku’s injuries and Chouza’s torn ligament. Sakura explained that while she can heal nearly all injuries, bodies like Chouza, who relies heavily on his arms rather than his legs, need at least a six-hour resting period to snap back together. Yet, there is also the consideration that Sakura lied about the resting period and wants to see the festival.

Either way, Minato indulges her, because she sort of saved his life.

.

Sakura is at another stall, she picks up a small box of takoyaki and when she turns around, she notices that she’s lost Chouza and Shikaku. She frowns, alone, she walks down the strip path of the festival, hair glimmering underneath the red and green lanterns. She’ll need a drink soon, but she’s starving and this is _festival food._ The next time she will be able to inhale unlimited dango and fried food is during the fall festival.

Walking near the fountain, she takes a seat on the stone closes to the lights of the wisteria tree and takes a stab at her takoyaki.

“Have we met before?” Minato suddenly appears next to her.

She yelps when she catches the shock of his hair and nearly topples her box of snacks. She steadies herself though, holding her box away from the awkward position. Exhaling in relief she glares at him and hisses between clenched teeth, “Don’t _do_ that! I almost dropped my box.”

“I was standing next to you the whole time,” Minato raises a brow.

Sakura stares at him incredulously, “We’ve been together that long?”

He blinks at the innuendo, pulling at the side of his turtle neck, he shifts awkwardly and clears his throat, “Well, yes. We lost Shikaku and Chouza at the bookstore.”

She crosses her legs and raises her brows, “And you didn’t say anything? I thought I was alone.”

“Since we’re in war-time, Konoha prohibits shinobi on acting alone, even on missions,” he elucidates with a shrug of his shoulders, “It’s to avoid causalities, though there are some exceptions.”

_He’s the exception._

Sakura didn’t need him to spell it out, but she nods in comprehension and asks, “Has there been a lot of causalities?”

“One dead body is enough of a casualty,” Minato replies evenly.

A line like that reminds her of Naruto, even though the body language and tone are on completely different spectrums. It sounds like him and that almost makes her smile. Naruto has the almost the same coloring as Minato, but his features, she assumes, are all his mother—Kushina, if she remembers correctly.

“You still haven’t answered my question,” he interrupts her line of thought and takes a seat next to her. He repeats, “Have we met before? In the future, I mean.”

Sakura thinks about the war, the way he asked if she was his son’s girlfriend. The way that Naruto later told her that he had compared her to his mother made her flush and she admits after a moment, “Very briefly.”

Minato waits for her to say something else and then frowns when she doesn’t, “Just once?”

“Well,” she smiles bitterly, “It wasn’t under the best circumstance. There was a lot going on. We worked together though, N—my friends and,” she supposes she could tell him, it’s inevitable, “It was during the war.”

Blue eyes dip into azure and they widen, “Another war?”

“When are we never in a war?” Sakura doesn’t have the time to get all philosophical though, “Don’t worry, it doesn’t last as long as this one.”

He asks after a moment of silence, “Did we get along?”

Sakura thinks of his chuckle when she slapped Naruto with her head for being an idiot, all the while healing him. It’s not her best moment, but it was comfortable. She smiles softly at that memory, “We did.”

The muscles in Minato’s shoulders loosen, “Did we win?”

She pokes a takoyaki and takes a bite, “Naturally,”

He laughs at that.

Sakura is startled. She’s never heard him laugh before – it’s a sad realization – it lights a pleasant warmth in her. She wants to smile at acquiring that power, the past two months have been like walking on eggshells with him. He isn’t like anyone she’s ever known. The temperament, quirks, his intelligence which sharpens with the sea-glass in his eyes, his personality – that she hasn’t been able to nail down because it’s too great to even _comprehend_ – and he has this quiet type of intensity to him. The same intensity that attracted her to Sasuke—

—and she was _not_ going down this road again.

“Can you tell me about the war?” he shoves a knee underneath his chin, golden hair tousled, brushing his high cheekbones and there is moonlight in the sapphire of his eyes.

Sakura almost chokes.

_He’s so attractive it’s fucking disgusting._

The Gods are cruel masters.

“I can tell you that it’s unprecedented,” she mumbles into her snack.

“That only makes me more curious,”

“Didn’t they tell you curiosity killed the cat?” Sakura quips.

_Literally._

“And satisfaction brought it back,” Minato replies back.

Sakura rolls her eyes and finishes another takoyaki, “Kakashi-sensei was a commander in the war, I was in his division before I was reassigned to the medical and logistic unit. Once the war ended, he was appointed Hokage.”

He stares at her with something akin to incredulous outrage.

It’s the bewilderment that has her giggling into her fist, she had the same reaction once she heard the news. Kakashi _abhorred_ any type of responsibility, more so politics. It’s a blessing that his hair is naturally silver because she’s sure she’d see patches of gray if his hair was anything but.

“Kakashi,” he says with aghast, “ _Hokage?_ He doesn’t even water his plants, he’s going to take care of a country?”

“I know,” Sakura laughs, “It was ridiculous, but sensei has more than enough field experience and mission requirements to handle it. I was his assistant for a year before I quit. The man is a _slave driver_.”

“As the fifth—”

“Sixth,” Sakura corrects, “Sixth Hokage, though I’d keep it under wraps for now. I don’t need little Kakashi getting an even bigger head,” she scowls, “I thought he would be cute as a kid, but he’s such a pest.”

“I bet he would say the same for your team,” Minato gives her a half-smile, half scolding, and half teasing.

“Team Seven wasn’t a walk in the park, that’s for sure,” she snorts, “I feel for Rin. My teammates were the same way as Obito and Kakashi are.”

“Rivals?”

“Idiots.”

.

“The mission went okay, Sakura-sensei?” Obito noses his way past his bento to ask the pink-haired medic who looks at a scroll absently, she lays on her stomach, there’s half a riceball in her hand and a hand underneath her chin.

“It was fine,” Sakura replies and takes a bite of her riceball. “The granddaughter had a common metal-based poisoning. It was in her body for a long time. I just extracted it and made her an elixir that will remove the traces left of it in her body. She’ll be right as rain in a month.”

Rin’s eyes sparkle in admiration.

“But did you know,” he leans in closer and whispers so his other teammate can’t hear, “Fight anyone?”

“Nope,” she unravels the scroll, even more, her feet kicking the air absently and she answers, “Your sensei had all the fun.”

Obito pouts.

“She saved my life,” Minato materializes next to the duo, his hand catching an ankle, thumb tracing the protruding bone almost considering, he releases the dainty bone and fills them in on the action, “We were on a boat and the elemental jutsu was against us.”

Sakura rolls her eyes and clarifies, “I just pulled him back, he was being reckless.”

Kakashi raises his brows, “Sensei was reckless?”

Minato, this time, rolls his eyes, “She kicked the pirate back onto land.”

“From the boat?” Obito frowns in confusion.

“Yes,”

Rin scrunches her nose, “So you were at the docks then,”

“No, we were in the middle of the sea,” Minato smiles conspiringly.

And Kakashi scents blood, “How did they reach the land then?”

“A demonstration!” Obito beams picking up on the cue.

Sakura stares at them and then turns to look at Minato. She blinks, “You’re serious.”

“We’ve never seen you spar,” Minato states blandly.

“Yes you have,” she points out – rather obtusely because it’s fun to irritate him – and closes her scroll, “We trained yesterday.”

“But you never go on offense,” Rin interjects.

Sakura gives her a betrayed look, “You too, Rin?”

She flushes.

“You should fight, Minato-sensei,” Kakashi suggests after a moment, he doesn’t want to appear too eager, but he has been _itching_ to see Minato-sensei fight Sakura-sensei, “And if I was your sensei, you should be able to take him.”

The arrogance from Kakashi’s voice makes her cough.

“No offense, Kakashi,” Sakura stands up, “But you weren’t a good teacher. You made us do two-hundred D-rank missions in three months.”

Rin gasps, “Kakashi! How can you be so cruel!”

He scowls, “You probably deserved it!”

“Is that how you speak to your favorite student?”

Kakashi blinks a loss for words, “ _You_ were my favorite student?”

“Well, I didn’t give any trouble,” Sakura thinks about it. She didn’t leave the village, she joined the ranks team-less, she followed all the rules and regulations, she didn’t try to kill any of her teammates and she didn’t wander each village looking for wisdom, “So by default, yes.”

“You’re stalling, Sakura,” Minato announces from behind her.

For the life of her, she can’t remember when he decided to drop her honorific.

.

“You’re going to win,” Sakura doesn’t sound chagrinned from because the fact of the matter, is that Minato is just _way_ too fast. She can give Sasuke and Kakashi a run for their money, her speed is just fast enough to keep her movements blurry on the second level of their sharingan. Minato doesn’t have a fancy kekkai genkai to track her with, but he does use the Hiraishin and that’s a risk on its own.

“Giving up, already?” Minato sounds surprised, even Rin sighs with her teammates from the tree branch just a few feet away.

“I’m not giving up,” she scoffs and tightens the strap on her leather gloves, “I’m stating a fact. You’re not called the _Yellow Flash_ for no reason.”

“If you wanted to learn the Hiraishin, all you had to do was ask,” he says lightly.

Sakura narrows jade orbs and uses shunshin to get a better vantage point. To her knowledge, Sakura doesn’t have the Hiraishin seal on her – if she does there _will_ be hell to pay – and cloaks her chakra to the point of new return.

One of the perks of having nearly perfect chakra control is the distortion between reality and fantasy. She could disappear, from sight, from hearing, from touch—chakra melds and welds like water on a spindle. Even a sensor, like Minato, would have trouble finding her. Layering the field with low-level genjutsu, she leaves false trails of chakra, twisting the fabrics with sprinkles of elemental jutsu and then drops another higher-level genjutsu above the tree-tops.

She hears a crack and jumps.

.

Sakura’s cloaking technique is Kage-level, Minato notes. As expected from a medical-ninja, though her control borders on flawless and a little bit neurotic, considering the deftness she wields with a scalpel.

His fingers twist in the threads of the genjutsu and he cuts them with a low-level wind-jutsu. Genjutsu isn’t his cup of tea, but he can get the job done and that’s what matters the most.

What’s most interesting about her shinobi-style, is the layering.

 _Sakura is a paper ninja,_ he realizes, when he catches her scent – not her chakra because her suppression is ridiculous – he teleports towards her, but she’s waiting for him and that’s his first mistake.

When she makes a move to grab him, she expects him to reappear before her in reflex and that’s when she strikes.

_A blow._

Somewhere in the middle of his second and third rib, there is an ache, an ache that blossoms into a hollow ringing, and he tumbles backward into a pile of trees.

The thing with a paper ninja – just like himself – is that they are adaptable.

_Flexible._

Sakura’s eyes burn sage green, it is omnipotent as it is godless.

.

“She—She actually managed to hit sensei,” Rin comments in shock.

Obito gapes.

“My student is pretty amazing,” Kakashi has to grin.

.

Minato stands up abruptly, he hisses at the pain exploding on his right side and grabs a kunai from his holster, and grins, “You hit me.”

“I wouldn’t move so fast if I were you,” Sakura deflects his almost-praise with a huff – her stomach tangles in knots because she just _decked_ the Fourth Hokage – and places a hand on her hip, “You could puncture a lung.”

“You actually managed to hit me,” he says again, it’s more in amusement than it is in shock and she doesn’t know what to make of that, “Can you do it again?”

Minato is lightning, but Sakura anticipates his blow – she’s spent enough time with Kakashi to remain unpredictable – her hand pushes back his wrist, she ducks when he gives her a kick, tumbling sideways when he appears behind her and grabs her waist to pull her back.

Sakura shoves a chakra-infused kick back, Minato dodges and the earth splinters upon contact.

Minato has to look for higher ground.

.

Minato’s jaw parts in disbelief, sky-orbs widening at the destruction she levels the training ground with.

“I don’t tend to use my strength in the training grounds,” Sakura almost smirks at the looks of distress on her teammates, “It takes a while to clean up.”

“I’ll say,” Obito drops to the tree branch, back against the trunk as he looks at the crack in the ground, “Sakura-sensei could _kill_ us.”

Rin shrieks, “She’s _amazing_!”

“Maybe she’ll take you on as apprentice, Rin,” Kakashi offers, his eyes crease at the edges and he can almost taste the chaos.

“You think so?!”

“Why wouldn’t she?” Obito grins.

.

“You’ve been holding out on me,” Minato breathes, leaping onto an upturned tree and stands with a kunai in between his fingers.

“A girl can’t give away all her secrets now, can she?” she grins, cheekily and then advances towards him.

.

Sakura takes offense now and it jolts Minato out of his thoughts. He flashes again, to the left, the metal plate of her gloves deflects the slide of his kunai and he brings his foot upwards again.

Above now, she pulls to the left and then right.

She ducks another blow and grabs the root of a tree trunk and uses it as a shield for her back all the while attempting to make a grab for the blonde.

Minato flashes up, the tree slamming into a nearby river.

“All I need is one hit,” Sakura pants and flings another tree, “One hit and you’re done Minato.”

“You’re not going to get that hit, Sakura,” her name leaves his tongue in a thrill and he isn’t moving to full capacity because he wants to test her limits.

He throws a kunai to a nearby tree, one on the grass, another on a tree, and one near the river. A circle. Minato flashes, Sakura can’t anticipate every move of his – her training with Kakashi shows, if anything, expect the unexpected – she twists to the left and gasps when his fingers brush her face in a mock blow. A half-second too late and she would’ve felt her teeth rattle.

Minato doesn’t even need to use the rasengan for Sakura to know that she’s going to lose, but if she catches him off guard, just _once_ – because the first time she hits him she was testing out her strength, holding back her blows left her to wonder at its effect – then she wins.

But he eludes her again and her fist goes into a tree.

In a fit of frustration, she grabs his kunai and snaps it in half.

“Holy shit,” Obito swears from the tree and gapes, “She just _snapped_ his kunai. Like a twig.”

“You can beat him, Sakura-sensei!” Rin cheers next to her teammates.

Sakura glances at the broken piece of metal and wonders if she’s gone too far.

Minato stares at her blankly.

“You can’t teleport if you don’t have a kunai, can you?”

In the end, Sakura digs a deeper hole for herself.

.

Minato paid a pretty Ryo for that kunai, all his kunais are top-notch, good quality, sturdy and _expensive._ Then Sakura snaps his kunai like it’s made of paper. Like _paper._ He needs to finish this before Sakura decides to turn his precious kunai into kindling.

Minto shoves a fist into her stomach, it pushes her back until she’s flat on even ground, he moves to place a kunai at her throat, but she wraps her legs around his hips and flips him over. He gasps at the weight on his stomach and she yelps when he teleports again. Yellow flashes until she’s on her back again.

“Will you stay still!” Sakura snaps, legs around his waist again, she flips him above her to seals already forming on her thumbs, she marks the jut of his wrists with chakra binds with a fūinjutsu – that needs no skin to skin contact and he tackles her onto the ground; again.

“What did you do?” Minato stares at his wrists in confusion, he locks her hips with his thighs and struggles to keep her down.

“Sealed your chakra,” she breathes and wiggles from beneath him—if she uses her full strength, she could really damage him, “You can’t use your hands to form jutsu.”

“I don’t use seals for my Hiraishin,” he admits and groans when she pushes him back to the side, “It’s automatic,”

Minato’s students watch their sensei(s) struggle to pin each other to the ground. To Kakashi, they remind him of his dogs, rolling around the grass, attempting to establish dominance and satisfaction. Rin flushes at the intimacy of the fight and Obito isn’t really helping with his cheering.

“You cheater!” Sakura yelps as she’s tossed onto her hands and knees. Minato locks his thighs in between her hips, grabs her hands and presses them above her head. Chest against her upper back, Minato is _sweating_ trying to lock her down, his ribs ache and his head is throbbing from the pain.

“Just yield already, dammit Sakura!”

“No!” she squeaks as he thighs move higher up her waist, the short kimono top riding up with her quick, careless wiggles on the grass, “I’m so _close._ ”

Kakashi flushes at the innuendo and decides to bang his head against the tree. He knew it was a mistake to follow Jiraiya-sama around and read his stash of manuscripts. Obito, who is surprised at his sensei’s slip of profanity, wonders why Kakashi is acting weird. Even Rin, who wants to cover her eyes, can only stare at her teammates in mortification.

She shifts to the left and hits his injured ribs. Minato hisses in pain but keeps his hands steady even though he wants to roll over and curl into a fetal position.

Sakura hears it though and then relaxes in defeat, she sighs, “Fine. I yield.”

Minato groans and rolls over to the side, “Thank the _Gods._ ”

.

“You’re such a baby,” Sakura sucks her teeth, fingers prodding to the bone bruise hidden behind – a six-pack, she hates herself even more for paying attention to it – a wall of muscle, she cuts through Minato’s shirt more than necessary and presses against the cavity near his heart, “Here?”

“No,” he grumbles.

She rolls her eyes and looks at Rin with glowing green hands. She instructs, “Look for the bruise and dig underneath. You want to start at the base and work your way to the top,” she ignores Kakashi’s choking and Obito’s nervous giggle, “If you pour too much chakra you can rupture the cells, pour too little and it won’t heal.”

“Sakura,” Minato groans – she bites the inside of her cheek, the quick flinch of pain is enough to hide her shiver – his hand rubs the side of his face roughly, “Is this the time for a healing lesson?”

Sakura snorts and mocks, “I’m _Konoha’s Yellow Flash,_ no one can touch me and so I don’t know _how to deal with pain_ , except when I’m _hurt_ ,” ignoring his scowl, “I’ll let you heal his temple, let me finish this up before his highness starts to cry.”

Obito giggles, “Sensei, it can’t be _that_ bad.”

Rin frowns at the lack of opportunity, “His head?”

“I knocked him on his head,” Sakura tells her, she pours chakra into her hand and slides it over his abdomen up to his ribs, “Check for a concussion, lumps, and bumps. Any fractures or blood. Find the opening and seal it shut.”

Sakura runs her hand down his abdomen, testing the edges of his bones and the muscles in his stomach.

Rin wonders at the jump in Minato-sensei’s temporal artery when Sakura brushes the v of his abdominals.

.

Kakashi asks Sakura to go to a team dinner with him. She makes an excuse, tells him that she has a graveyard shift and to save her a plate of tempura. He frowns but understands regardless. She watches him leave the compound with his hands at the back of his head and sighs at nothing particular.

Today would mark the three-month anniversary of her arrival into the past.

Kakashi’s blunder into the Kamui, as she would like to call it.

Sakura just needs a little time to herself.

It makes her sad and happy. Dejected, that she can’t return back to her time, her friends, her family and her time. But she is happy, because she has made a life here, and she is slowly finding herself in a place where she shouldn’t be. She has Kakashi – though he isn’t her Kakashi – she has Obito, Rin and Hikari, and Yoshino and Tsume and—friends, Minato too.

It only sounds slightly strange in her head, but the thing is—she’s the same age as everyone here – excluding her students of course – and everything is almost normal.

Other than the war.

But that’ll last only a few more months according to her calculations.

Sakura makes a pot of tea and sits on the roof.

Almost normal.

.

“You lied,” Minato appears next to her, she tries not to seem startled, but her hands do shake and she can’t help that. He scoots closer, grabs the teapot, and pours her another cup of tea, apologetically.

“No, here,” Sakura hands him her cup and grabs another cup from her small pouch in the back of her, “Take it. I have another one.”

He sips the tea from her cup.

“I just needed a little time,” she says after a moment and pours herself another cup, “It’s—”

“Three months,” Minato finishes for her, his eyes are sympathetic, but his voice is strong, “I know.”

Sakura’s smile is strangled, “It’s just…a lot, you know?”

“I can’t imagine,” he sips the warm, floral liquid, and then he asks, “How are you doing?”

He’s considerate, she smiles inwardly. Very much so, thoughtful if anything, it’s a warm feeling and she settles back into the roof. “I’m fine. Fine as I can be. Hokage-sama can’t do anything about it, all I can do is wait.”

“For someone from the future?”

“If?” Sakura shrugs, “I can’t fight what I know is highly impossible. Adapting is what I do best. Part of me wants to look for a way home, but all I can do is wait. I’ve been to a parallel universe before, either I break out of it or an outside force does. I have to be rational, burning myself out isn’t efficient. I think if I was younger, I would be hellbent on looking for a way out of here. But I’m older now and it’s— time,” she sighs and then laughs to herself, “Time is a bitch.”

“Time waits for no one,” Minato agrees, but he is more polite.

“Do you think I’ll find my way back?” Sakura asks quietly, she doesn’t look at him, she focuses on the moon above them, back against the rough patch of the roof she doesn’t move, tea at the right of her.

“I don’t know,” he replies honestly, “Time travel scrolls do exist but they are rare and extremely hard to find, but,” his eyes glitter like moon water, drifting in the sea of cobalt and midnight, his voice is softer when he asks, “But would it be so bad to stay?”

Sakura doesn’t answer.

The lump in her throat tightens to a prickpoint, narrow and tapered at the end.

The stars wink above her.

.

Rin’s chakra reserves aren’t deep enough for Sakura to start her real medical training.

She was hesitant about teaching Rin anything, she feared overtaxing her chakra system. Sakura had told her to deepen her reserves before she started her medical training. Pouring chakra, expelling it took control and consistency. Having deeper reserves would make it easier on her and her system.

Rin knows basic first aid, so she doesn’t have to give her the fish test – though she really wanted too – instead, she starts her off in the lab, mixing poisons and antidotes. Memorizations and studying is the only way to pass that part of the medical teachings, the other is the application, but once you have a foundation, the trees are easier to find.

Minato stops by one day at the hospital with lunch, he tussles Rin’s hair and teases her, “I heard you’ve been working hard, Rin-chan. I brought fruit sandwiches with the yellow cream you said you liked.”

Sakura hides a smile with her hand.

Her eyes sparkle despite her exhaustion, “Strawberries?”

“And grapes,” he chuckles when she snatches the bag and gives her sensei a hug. She skips over to the window and unfolds the package.

Suddenly, there’s another package in front of her. It’s a wooden box with a pair of chopsticks. Sakura blinks at the box and then looks up. Minato holds the bento out for her patiently, she can’t read his eyes, but there’s a smile twitching at his lips.

“For me?” she asks softly and accepts the box.

“Kakashi told me you liked tempura,” Minato answers and smiles in a way that reminds her of the sun, “And riceballs. There’s also some yakitori in there.”

“You remember,” she grins, grateful for the bento.

“It was hard to forget. You swallowed three sticks of yakitori in less than five minutes,”

“I was _hungry_ ,”

Minato grins, and he looks over at Rin who waves at him, “Do your best, Rin! I’ll see you at dinner.” He turns back to look at Sakura, “Will you be there?”

Sakura blinks jade orbs and she stumbles on her words, not expecting the intensity of his eyes, “Ah—yes, I think.”

“I’ll have Kakashi pick escort you,” he gives her a nod and one last look before disappearing.

Sakura swallows and opens her bento.

There’s a stick of kinako dango on the right side of the box.

.

“Symph—what?” Obito’s mouth fumbles over the word, even his chopsticks do not cooperate with him as he flips over the meat.

“Symphytum officinale,” Rin corrects and chews on a crisp sweet pepper, “It’s an herb. Sakura-sensei took me to the mountains and we dug some up. It can be used as a poison _and_ an antidote! I didn’t know herbs can work both ways,” she explains excitedly to her teammates, one who tries to listen to every word she spews, and the other more interested in the grilled eggplant.

Sakura sits in the corner of the booth, Minato next to her and Kakashi in front of her. She pokes at an onion, rotating the spiral closer to the heat and smiles at the way Obito bobs his head.

“A mission?” Minato pitches his voice so only she can hear.

Sakura has no such qualms, “More of an assignment. Just a simple herb gathering. Making salves and potions.”

“And then we used the poison on—”

Sakura coughs rather loudly and looks pointedly at Rin who flushes in embarrassment and chuckles nervously, “Nothing!”

Minato blinks at her and then turns to look at Sakura eats her rice innocently.

“Should I supervise the next meeting?” Kakashi inquires dryly.

“I think that’s a great idea, Kakashi,” Minato agrees and hisses when Sakura’s elbows dig into his ribs.

“You guys ruin the fun,” Rin pouts.

Obito laughs.

Sakura chews on a piece of grilled shrimp and leans into the window. “You’re doing great, Rin-chan. You just need to study a lot and amp up on your reserves.”

“Are reserves that important for medical ninjutsu?” Obito asks curiously.

“Well, when you’re on the brink of death or if your teammates tend to get themselves hurt, for example, it’s pretty important to have chakra available,” Rin answers for Sakura, her frown noticeable and even Kakashi winces.

Sakura grins.

Minato sighs, “You’re a bad influence on my team, Sakura.”

“Am I, really?” she raises a brow and then points to her baby teacher, “You’re a bad influence on Kakashi. Look at him. Even his hair is growing wild.”

“Leave the hair out of it!”

“You need a haircut,”

“It’s fine,” Kakashi scowls behind his mask, even when Sakura laughs and Minato chuckles.

Kakashi wonders if his teammates see it, the way Sakura-sensei and Minato-sensei fit together, look together—act together. He glances at Obito, who gives him a wink and Rin who gives his hand a squeeze.

They see it, but do they?

“Why are you three looking at us like that?” Sakura asks suspiciously, she flips over a piece of meat before putting it on Obito’s plate and giving Kakashi the grilled eggplant. Something inside Kakashi melts at the small gesture, Obito smiles brightly and squeezes Rin’s hand underneath the table.

“How long did it take you to form your Yin Seal?” Rin asks suddenly.

She raises her brows at that, “About three years,”

“That fast?” Obito exclaims with surprise.

“Is it?” Sakura frowns, “I thought it took a long time.”

“I believe it took Tsunade-sama more than five years,” Minato points out.

“Well, shishou did create it,” Sakura muses, “She would have to figure what can go wrong, what can go right. There are lots of things you can do with this seal, but it’s a constant stream of chakra. Strength training and taijutsu will help you with developing reserves.”

“Does that mean you can use that technique, the one that Orochimaru-san said is her form of _immortality_?” Minato inquires, he places more shrimp on her plate and a few pieces of bok choy.

Sakura stiffens and then snaps her head to look at him, “Orochimaru is _still_ in the village?”

Minato narrows ocean orbs at her, she bites her tongue to prevent herself from saying something— _something._ She swallows her ire and leans further into the window. She doesn’t like this any more than he does, but he knows something and that something can either be bad or downright _catastrophic._

“Is Orochimaru-sama bad or something?” Obito looks uneasy at the sudden tension.

She looks back at her plate and mumbles, “Or something,” she shakes her thoughts like a wet blanket, “The Yin Seal has very few specific techniques. Ultimately it is a storing seal, but Yin Chakra is much different than say elemental,” she nibbles on a mushroom, “Things like _immortality_ are a double-aged sword.”

“What do you mean?” Kakashi asks.

“The Creation Rebirth Technique allows the user to heal all wounds, injuries, and damages; essentially the user cannot die.”

Obito whistles.

“But,” Sakura points out, “To use this technique, you have to understand the mechanics of it all. Cells can only split a certain amount of times, because of this, the user of this technique shortens their natural life span by activating this jutsu.”

Minato stiffens.

“Woah,” Obito mumbles.

“Have you used it before?” Rin asks after a heavy moment.

“A few times,” she admits, Minato’s eyes are on her, she doesn’t have to turn her head to know, “Tsunade-sama and I created another technique from it, instead of using it on ourselves, we can transfer it another person.”

“Does it shave time off your life?”

“It depends on the person,” Sakura answers carefully.

“You’re so cool, Sakura-sensei,” Obito doesn’t realize he says that aloud until Kakashi turns to look at him with wide eyes.

He flushes.

Sakura can’t help but laugh.

She shifts the conversation into another direction, but almost drops her chopsticks when Minato’s knee brushes hers.

.

“Hokage-sama?” Sakura pops her head in. Five months in, the Hokage greets her with a pot of tea and a box of mochi.

Hiruzen waves off the ANBU and then seals the room as Sakura walks into the room.

“There’s my favorite time-traveler,”

“I’m your only time-traveler,”

Sakura wonders at her relationship with authority. Hokage’s in particular. Her shishou was the Fifth, her sensei the sixth and soon her teammate would be the seventh. The Third is no exception to the sharpness of her mind, and the compassion she shows to her fellow shinobi. But maybe it’s the Yin Seal that softens him up.

The Hokage is her confidant.

“Semantics,” he waves off, and somehow that reminds her of Minato. He pours her a cup of tea, and asks, “Ready?”

Sakura nods.

Every Thursday, Sakura would pop by the Hokage’s office, checking on the crystal ball, needing to see the future, wanting to know if somehow they’ve figured it out, but also just to check upon them. She touches the glass and watches the clouds disperse.

_“Sakura-chan has been gone for almost half a year, bastard,” Naruto drops his head on the ramen bar, “What are we going to do?”_

_Sasuke sighs, “I don’t know, dobe. I’ve tried at least ten portals a day. It’s my limit.”_

_“Rinnegan giving trouble?”_

_“Only if I overuse it,”_

_“Kakashi-sensei is getting depressed,” Naruto admits, “I’ve never seen him beat himself up like this before.”_

_“Even when he goes to the monument?” he asks dryly._

_“Don’t make jokes, Sasuke. It’s not your area.”_

It amazes her sometimes, how grown-up Naruto has gotten.

_Sasuke is quiet, “I think the sharingan is starting to put a strain on him.”_

_“Do you think it’s because he’s not an Uchiha?”_

_“What does Tsunade-sama, say?”_

_“The old lady hasn’t told me anything.”_

_Sasuke shakes his head, “The only person who might have an idea, would be Sakura.”_

_Naruto sighs, “I don’t know what to do, bastard. But I’m not going to give up on Sakura-chan, believe it!”_

_“You didn’t give up on me,” he snorts, “I expect nothing less.”_

_They laugh._

Sakura’s eyes widen, a part of her heart breaks, because she so wishes she was there, but it’s still so strange because it’s like they arere friends and she’s doesn’t ever recall being Sasuke Uchiha’s _friend._ Her voice is soft, “I’ve missed a lot, haven’t I?”

“That blonde,” Hiruzen rubs his chin, “Looks, an awful like Minato.”

“It’s his kid,” Sakura snorts, “I’d expect nothing less.”

The Hokage stares at her, “Kid—he’s _married?_ ”

“Well, yeah,” she shifts uncomfortably and doesn’t understand _why_ she’s uncomfortable.

“To who?”

She doesn’t lie, “I believe her name is Kushina,” Sakura frowns and then looks confused, “Whom, I haven’t met.”

“Kushina Uzumaki?” Hiruzen’s eyes widen.

She nods.

“Kushina left the village six months ago,” The Hokage reveals, “She wants to rebuild Uzushigakure. In order to do that, she needs coin and a lot of it,” he sighs and leans back in his chair, “I believe that Minato was courting Kushina at the time, but Kushina’s home was more important. So she broke it off and started courting one of the Daimyo’s son.”

Sakura gapes, “The Daimyo?”

“Kushina was considered a beauty in the village,” Hiruzen chuckles, “She had bright red hair and Minato was entranced by it,” he sips his tea, “And the Daimyo’s son—Daichi, I believe his name is, has the money to give Kushina want she wants.”

“And this was before I came here?” she stares at him and then waves her hands, “Then how is Naruto born?

Hiruzen shrugs again, “If Naruto truly is the child of the prophecy, then hook or by crook, not even the Gods will stand in the way of his arrival.”

.

Sakura feels a headache pulse in between the spaces of her temples, she throws herself onto the grass of their training field and groans. She rolls on the grass until she’s lying underneath the willow. The sun peeks between the leaves and the air is quiet. She inhales, deeply and then exhales slowly.

“What are you doing?”

Her heart leaps in her throat and she blinks up—the air thick in her chest. It’s Minato, the shock of blonde and the blue of his eyes settles her heartrate. She exhales and rubs her temples, “What did I say about sneaking up on me!”

He smiles and takes a seat next to her, “Can’t remember.”

Sakura grumbles underneath her breath.

“Are you alright?” the concern and honesty are apparent in his voice.

She can’t find it in her heart to exploit his morality.

“Just a headache,” Sakura replies, as much as she wants to use chakra, her shift from the hospital has left her agitated – that and her meeting with the Hokage – and exhausted.

Sakura feels the world shift from her level, warm hands press against her shoulder blades, her legs are positioned east and her head rests on something firm—warm. Good.

And it’s his eyes that rival the blue of the skies.

With Sakura’s head on Minato’s lap, he takes strong fingers, scrapes a path with blunt fingernails from the back of her scalp to the crown of her head and she almost melts. Then his fingers are strong and steady at her temples. They move in small circles and press firmly against the tension in her brain.

“You should drink more water,” he chides gently, “You’re probably dehydrated.”

“Oh? Are you a medic now?” she chuckles.

But when he doesn’t laugh, she opens her eyes.

Minato’s fingers tangle in the blush of her hair, petal pink and pearls, the wine-colored hair falls over his fingers like silk on a tile. He murmurs with half-lidded seas, “You have beautiful hair, Sakura.”

Sakura’s heart thuds with the beat of her temples.

.


	3. until the sun sets

“So, how does this whole Kur-er, furry tenant situation work, you know with,” Sakura leans in to whisper to the Third, “Kushina-san?”

The Third looks bewildered at the term of endearment, but explains as simply as he can, “Kushina-chan is _still_ in the Land of Fire, just not in the capital. She is still under Konoha jurisdiction, therefore cannot leave the village without shinobi, guards, and Jiraiya – being that he is a fūinjutsu master – so it’s not out of our hands, but it’s not a main concern since she isn’t, technically, an active shinobi.”

“There are ANBU guards shadowing her, aren’t there?” Sakura says wryly.

“Her intended is the Daimyo’s son, a little extra protection never hurt anyone.”

“And what about the feelings that keep the furry tenant at bay?”

Hiruzen smiles, “Like almost everyone, Kushina has learned to love herself and that’s the most important type of love.”

.

“Lady Tsunade wants you to make sure that you get Danzo under wraps,” Katsuyu tells her after a moment, she looks around the walls of her office in contemplation, “His removal would save a lot of headaches, at least that it was the mistress tells me.”

“And Orochimaru?” Sakura frowns, leaning into the back of her chair, “What am I supposed to do about him?”

“I can ask her,” Katsuyu says simply, “He was her teammate before, and hasn’t defected yet, correct?”

“Yes,”

The slug nods, “Unfortunately traveling to different time periods does take _time_ ,” she titters, “It took three months to reach Lady Tsunade of my time and it took one month to reach here. There’s a lag in the continuum, it’s unavoidable.”

“What if I use another seal?” she inquires thoughtfully, “Something to cut down the chakra usage.”

“It wouldn’t have any effect,” Katsuyu responds, “It will just lower the chakra output.”

“Have sensei look into it,” she says, emerald orbs glinting at the picture frame on her desk, “If anyone could figure out how to lessen the time gap and increase efficiency, it would be Kakashi-sensei.”

.

The message from Tsunade-sama comes across as almost anti-climactic. Time-travel differs by species, by chakra and most certainly the type of portal. Summoning jutsus are different than portals if she had to guess, the chakra output and the power behind them cannot compare to the sheer marvel that is the sharingan or rinnegan – but that’s another issue altogether – and it comes almost half a year too late.

“Sakura-sensei,” Obito is loud above her, “Why are you on the ground?”

“Are you okay, shishou?” Rin asks worriedly, she pats her back, her master’s face still buried in the grass.

_Shishou._

It’s a wonderful and terrifying feeling.

Sakura never thought she’d have an apprentice, because she is _still_ an apprentice, no matter what Tsunade-sama says. Tsunade-sama will always be her master, not even when she says that has Sakura has surpassed her. It’s the principle of the matter, being the world’s best medical ninja – in any time period – is a daunting thing.

“I’m thinking,” she groans.

“With your face in the dirt?”

Even Kakashi sounds _worried._

Sakura rolls over. She’s been experimenting with styles lately. She’s not a teenager anymore, miniskirts are cute and all, but she wants something that screams _adult._ Her skirt just isn’t cutting it anymore, especially since it’s the last piece of clothing she has left from six months ago and it’s starting to fall apart.

She trades in the skirt for simple black shinobi pants, she tucks in the pants into her boots – the boots she would never trade for anything in this world – and it’s a sleeveless red top that cuts right above the top of her ribs, mesh covers the expanse of her stomach down to her hips.

It’s more form-fitting than her other clothes, but she likes the way it feels. The weightlessness of it all, the ease of it, and the lack of a lag.

Sakura decides to distract herself—them really, and asks, “Do you guys want to see the bingo book?”

Kakashi blinks, “You have one?”

“From my time? Yes?”

.

Minato finds his team snuggled up to Sakura underneath the wisteria tree of training ground seven. Rin’s hair brushes the edge of Sakura’s cheekbone, Obito’s chin is resting on her shoulder and even Kakashi, who leans his head into the crook of Sakura’s cheek and shoulder from behind Rin as they look into a—

“—bingo book?” Minato blurts out, though no one seems to hear them.

“Sakura-sensei, how—” Obito gapes and points to her picture, “Your bounty is more than Minato-sensei!”

Kakashi’s eyes widen.

“Is it really that much?” she frowns, “There are people with much higher bounties.”

“Sakura Haruno,” Rin reads, “Age eighteen—”

“I’m twenty now,” she interrupts.

“Jounin rank. S-Class kunoichi. Notable kills: Sasori of the Red Sand, Two out of the Seven Swordsmen’s of the Mist, [redacted]—”

“Why does it say redacted?” Obito frowns, “Why is there a long line of black?”

“Ah,” Sakura scratches the back of her head, “A lot of my kills aren’t allowed to be released to the public. Sensitive information and all that, but it must be released now that se—er, the new Hokage came into power.”

Rin continues, “Listed as a poison expert, genjutsu expert, chakra control is the ninety-nine percentile—” she inhales sharply, “Holy crap, shishou you’re _amazing._ ”

Sakura laughs and pokes her cheek with a finger.

Obito continues for her, “Superhuman strength, taijutsu expert—”

“Taijutsu expert really is a _stretch_ ,”

“Experienced tactician and best medical ninja in the world,” Kakashi stares at that for a moment and follows the next line, “Apprentice of the Slug Sanin, student of the copy-nin Kakashi Hatake—”

“Copy-nin?”

“Former Hokage’s advisor, two terms. Teammates of the—”

“Okay, that’s enough!” Sakura giggles nervously and snaps the book shut in haste, “Too much information isn’t a good thing.”

“You have a _flee on sight_ stamp, Sakura-sensei,” Obito’s eyes glitter with tears, “You’re so _cool._ ”

“I’m starting to feel a little left out, Obito,” Minato almost pouts, he points at their dynamic, “How can you start team bonding without me?”

“Sakura-shishou was just showing us her bingo book,” Rin defends her master.

“I heard, Rin-chan,” he laughs.

“Am I in the bingo-book?” Kakashi wonders with dark eyes.

“Of course you are,” Sakura snorts, “But you can’t see it.”

Kakashi whines, “ _Why_?”

“Because,”

“Because why?”

“Because because,” she chuckles when he sulks.

“Are your teammates dangerous?” Rin asks suddenly.

Sakura blinks and thinks about it, “My teammates are…” Obito leans in closer, “Are considered Gods.”

Minato stares at her with incredulity and Obito topples over.

“Are they stronger than Minato-sensei?”

Sakura snorts, “Oh, no doubt.”

“Impossible,” Kakashi states flatly.

“Is it?” Sakura raises a brow, “They are _your_ students.”

He’s thoughtful at that.

.

“Gods, huh?” Minato finds her grocery shopping, hands in his pocket as she picks up a bag of rice, and places it in her basket.

“Oh, you’re still on about that?” Sakura is used to him finding her – sensors she thinks with a sigh – tosses him the basket and glowers when he catches the basket without flinching.

“Are they that powerful?”

She thinks it would be a horrible idea to let him know that her teammates are most _likely_ Gods—she thinks of Indra and Ashura.

“Yes,” Sakura says and grabs two boxes of tofu, “They are stronger than the Hokages put together.”

“I suppose you can’t tell me about them,” he remarks, grabs her purse, and tucks it over his left shoulder, “The timeline and all that.”

“You’re learning,” she teases and isn’t sure if she’s talking about him carrying her things – because her heart throbs at the consideration and the fact that it makes her feel all _types_ of feminine doesn’t help her one _bit_ – or the concept of time.

Then she’s brought back to the conversation she had with a few months ago, the one where he doesn’t know how to talk to girls.

But if he dated Kushina, he has to know how to talk to girls.

So, maybe it’s just her then.

“I can tell you that one of them is an Uchiha,” she offers and places the boxes in the basket.

Minato makes a noise of interest.

“And the other?”

Sakura smiles at nothing in particular, “An idiot.”

He pauses in the middle of the aisle, “ _What?”_

“Maybe I’ll tell you about him one day,” she says and grabs a bundle of lettuce, “He’s like my brother or a hyperactive toddler that I have to look after.”

Sakura stops dead in her tracks.

Minato turns to look at her with those blue eyes of his and the blonde of his hair is spun gold underneath the sunlight.

She swallows because she didn’t mean to say that out loud, hell, she didn’t mean to even _think_ about that because, _because_ —

“Sakura?” Minato walks closer to her, he cups her cheek, slides his palm down to her neck and the back of his knuckles brush her throat. He asks with concern – his eyes are all starry and beautiful and _fuck_ – he tilts his head, “Are you alright? You’ve gone pale.”

“I’m fine,” she says and smiles weakly, “Dehydrated, you know?”

— _because she can see it._

She can see it, this life they could build, Naruto would be _her’s_ and that’s—

—it’s _too_ much.

It’s too much for her to seep in, to catalog the pieces and organize them bit by bit because she has no _right,_ no _authority_ to even think about this—like _this_.

Yes, Kushina is out of the picture, but it doesn’t even help the turmoil that curls constantly in the dark depths of her mind.

Because Sakura has gotten too comfortable in this life and the fact that Minato becomes more and more like a constant piece of warmth in her life scares her in a way that not even Kaguya, could.

.

Sakura takes three days to freak about the inevitable. It takes her three days to come to her conclusions, sad and nerve-wracking as they may be, she needs this time to sort out herself. She has to be logical, she tells herself. She has to reason with her choices and the way they fit within the slots in her choices.

There is a more than likely chance, that Sakura will never get back to her time.

_It’s about time she’s accepted that._

She needs to squash that hope, that maybe _, maybe_ she can go back.

Sakura has to consider her thoughts, her feelings, and more importantly her sanity.

The world has decided that Indra and Asura’s reincarnations would be Naruto and Sasuke, but Sakura would be what?

_What should she be?_

Time has brought her here if it is destiny – the Gods like to play with their mortals a little _too much_ if she’s being honest – but she would like a sign.

A sign that tells her, that _yes_ , she’s _supposed_ to be here.

A sign that tells her that _okay, you’re fine_ and _this is where you’re meant to be._

.

That sign comes three days later.

“Destroy the Kannabi bridge,” Those are the Hokage’s words and they feel like an anvil dropping into her stomach. She’s at the gates looking at her kids – yes they are _her_ kids now – and no fucking _God_ would take them from her.

They could ask Kaguya and her broken horn if they needed verification.

.

As they get closer and closer to the bridge, Sakura pulls Minato away from the team. But before she does that, she looks over at her students, and pulls the team into an earth box, “Sorry guys! Need to talk to your sensei for a bit.”

The jutsu is derived from Yamato but made with the earth; a defense.

“Is the box necessary!” Obito yells from the enclosure; it’s shaped like a prison, but it keeps the people in the box from harm.

“Obito, you’re stepping on my hand!” Kakashi yells.

“Stop moving!” Rin squeals. 

To Sakura, forcing them into a box of protection eases her sanity and her nerves, knowing that there is an extra measure of protection for them, she can talk to Minato without jumping at every sound in the forest – the last time she heard a crack, she almost slammed a squirrel into Rin’s face – and she pulls him by the vest deeper into the forest.

She tells him as soon as they stop, “You’re going with them on the mission. I’ll take the other one Hokage-sama gave you.”

Minato’s eyes narrow, “How do you _know_ —” something shifts on his face and he straightens up. It makes taller, broader, wider, and Sakura almost steps back at the power he exudes in his stance and states flatly, “Something happens.”

“Yes,” Sakura says and then crosses his arms, “I can handle the frontlines. I have more than enough experience with war and diplomacy. You go with your team and handle it.”

“Sakura the Hokage gave _me_ the mission, not you,” he presses with a frown and then orders, “ _You_ will go—”

Minato’s voice is cut off, his shinobi flak vest bites into his Adam’s apple, Sakura’s hand tightens on the cloth she yanks him closer to her face and hisses, “If you want to come back with your team _alive,_ I suggest you heed my words, Minato.”

A few months ago, Sakura would’ve rather _died_ than threaten, talk back, or even attempt to _fight_ the Fourth.

But time with him and his team has made her brave.

She doesn’t know Minato as well as his students, but she isn’t afraid of him anymore. She fears the safety of her sensei, her team, and her students more. She presses him a bit more, “Kakashi may be a Jounin, but he lacks the experience and talent to fight _Madara Uchiha_.”

Minato stiffens to a posture that is nothing but unyielding.

Sakura leans in closer, jade orbs blazing in the sunlight, moonstones glimmer and waves reflect, “You are the _only one_ that can match Madara’s _speed,_ ” she releases him and steps back, her temper getting the better of her, “I’ll handle the front-lines, you take care of them.”

She makes a move to disappear because she isn’t sure. She doesn’t know what she’ll do if something happens to them if something happens to her team and—she won’t _think_ about it.

Minato grabs her hand and tugs her until she slams into his chest. He cups her cheek – he has this habit of running his thumb down her jawline – his eyes are of a violent storm, churning and unholy in its power; it holds her still and he hisses insistently, “You _will_ stay safe Sakura.”

He demands it.

_Commands it._

Almost as if her demise is unspeakable— _unthinkable._

She nods quickly, his grip tightens on her, and he pulls her close enough to have the wild strands of straw grace the edges of her pores.

“ _Safe,_ do you understand me?”

Sakura swallows and breathes a laugh. Pointing to her Yin seal, she answers weakly, “I can’t die, remember?”

Minato’s eyes narrow until they resemble starlight, he leans in, forehead against forehead, chest to chest, and heart to heart, and breathes, “That is _not_ what I meant.”

Sakura doesn’t answer.

She pulls back, uses shunshin to disappear before she decides to do something stupid, like kiss him.

.

Sakura annihilates the battlefield and they call her a _monster_. Maybe she is. Maybe she’s the monster when she _literally_ destroys the bridge, maybe she’s a monster when she wipes out the rest of Iwa’s forces and maybe she’s a monster when she pulls out pillars of pillars and tosses them at the nin who try to attack her comrades.

Sakura is a monster when she uses her _strength of a hundred_ and heals her comrades.

They look at her in awe, in disgust, and in horror.

Monsters are called monsters when their power is too great to comprehend.

Sakura can bring life in one hand and she can destroy it with the other.

.

Obito doesn’t die much to her relief. Kakashi doesn’t have the sharingan and Rin is still kicking, but her students are damaged, badly, and her seal is still activated. So she heals until the bruises on Obito’s face disappear and Kakashi’s grimace softens into something easier.

There is a terror in Kakashi’s eyes, she notes and realizes the _teammates who abandon their teammates are trash_ speech has happened—though with her crashing the timeline and all that, she’s surprised it hasn’t happened sooner.

_Good._

Once the healing session is over, Minato grabs her by the biceps and pulls her until she’s in his personal space and exhales, “Tell me everything.”

And she does.

.

“Keep an eye on her,” Sakura says once they stop for camp, she stands next to him watching their students fight over the last fish, “If Madara doesn’t show up in this mission, it’s in the next.”

“Is he really alive?”

“The man destroyed your entire team once,” she tells him and her eyes glint with all the diamonds in the world, “Don’t let it happen again.”

.

Minato corners Madara when he tries to kidnap Rin. The battle is a secret, it’s held quietly in the corners of Konoha and it’s deadly because there is no _mercy_ when the lives of his students, his village and his friends are threatened.

Sakura is the one who finds Minato after the battle.

War-torn and bleeding.

She moves to heal him.

He moves to hug her.

And Sakura finds the pieces of herself she lost in the fire.

.

The war ends today and the treaty ends with peace instead of conflict.

They call her the _pink monster_ and it’s Jiraiya – who she meets again; briefly – who says that it makes her sound like she’s a part of some type of orgy.

But it is Minato who beats her to the punch.

.

Sakura plans and plans, but it’s Minato that does the heavy lifting. She loops him in when she decides to, but keeps him out when he gets to close. It’s a constant push and pull, it makes her dizzy sometimes, but if she’s stuck in this time period, she might as well fix some shit.

“Sakura-chan,” Mikoto walks towards her with a bag of groceries, a boy who resembles – the squeal she lets out when she sees baby Itachi comes from the fangirl side of that she can’t seem to _escape_ – Sasuke and how a tortured man came from such a cute child is just _beyond_ her.

“Mikoto-chan,” she greets and looks over to the small boy with a curious expression, “And who is this?”

“This is my son, Itachi,” Mikoto smiles, places a hand on his head, “He turned five the other day.”

“Itachi-chan,” Sakura doesn’t care that his face twists at the pet-name, because fuck the world he’s still a _child,_ “Are you helping your kaa-chan shop?”

“Yes, Sakura-san,” he nods dutifully.

Mikoto whispers into her ear, “Do you have time to give me a checkup later?”

Itachi’s ears perk up but he remains silent.

Sakura nods, “I can come in the evening if that’s alright?”

“Tsume-chan invited us out for dinner,” Mikoto tells her, “I’ll meet you at the hospital after lunch.”

“She’s not taking us to that _place,_ ” her nose wrinkles in disgust, “Is she?”

She laughs, “Your guess is good as mine,” she pats her son’s head, “I’ll see you later.”

Sakura waves at Itachi, who waves back and asks his mother, “Are you feeling alright, kaa-chan.”

She bites back a hysterical giggle.

 _Innocence should always be protected, Sakura-chan,_ Kakashi had told her one day, _it’s their smiles and their peace that we fight for._

So Sakura plans and plans.

Because if Sasuke is conceived then she needs to act.

Soon.

.

“To Mikoto,” Yoshino cheers with her cup full of sake, “And baby number two.”

Mikoto grins and drinks her tea.

“Two kids, huh?” Tsume rubs her face, “How do you feel about that?”

“I think it’s nice Itachi will have a sibling,” she says, “He’s always so lonely.”

“Maybe you should join him in one of the clubs,” Sakura comments, “The special shinobi clans so he can interact with kids his own age. It’s good for his development, I assume that as an Uchiha he’s taking on a lot of missions.”

She winces inwardly at her tact.

Mikoto asks curiously, “How did you know that?”

“Obito?” she says his name like a question.

The Uchiha matriarch’s shoulders drop, “Well, yes. Obito-kun does worry about him. Itachi’s cousin, Shisui, plays with him a lot. Maybe he can take an art class.”

Yoshino giggles, “He’s adorable.”

Hikari smiles into her cup of sake and leans into the couch.

An hour passes by before Sakura almost chokes on a snag of seaweed, “Wait—you’re _all_ married?”

“Hiashi and I got married almost a year ago,” Hikari points out – of course, this Hinata’s mother, she has Hanabi’s _nose_ – and shrugs, “Yoshino-chan married Shikaku-kun eight months ago.”

“I got married three years ago,” Tsume boasts.

“It looks like you’re the only single one, Sakura-chan!” Yoshino laughs.

“And all the good men are taken,” the Inuzuka clan head snickers, “Well except one.”

“Do I even want to know?” Sakura inquires dryly and downs another glass.

“Minato Namikaze is single and a little birdy told me that he’s _more_ than just interested in you,” Mikoto points out slyly.

And only Sakura can choke on _air,_ “I’m going to kill Shikaku.”

She giggles. 

“He was heartbroken when Kushina left him,” Hikari says after a moment, “But he understood that restoring her village to what it once was is important to her.”

“And besides,” Yoshino decides to add in, before they can get into all _that,_ “I’ve never seen Minato look at her like _that_.”

“…like what?”

Mikoto elucidates and obsidian eyes shimmer, “Like the _sun._ ”

Sakura thinks she’s wrong.

Minato is the _sun._

And Sakura is the earth, steady on her feet, but lost in his brilliance.

.

Somehow, hours later, when the sunsets, Sakura can’t remember how many cups of sake she’s had, but it _is_ a karaoke tavern and Tsume did bar off a certain section of the establishment for them. She’s singing on the counter with Yoshino and Hikari laughs with Mikoto at the corner of the table.

Sakura’s hair is much longer than she’s used to, it hits mid-back, it reminds her of her genin days and it slaps her in the face when she dances on the counter with Yoshino at back and Tsume in front. She misses Ino, Hinata, and Tenten, but she adores Yoshino, Tsume, Mikoto, and Hikari.

The life she lives can only bring her happiness if she wants it to, so when Tsume pours her another cup.

She drinks.

She drinks and taps cheers with Yoshino.

Then she switches the song and the three of them belt the lyrics in laughter and screams.

Because she wants to _live_ and not _survive._

.

Minato is more than exasperated when Shikaku, Hiashi, and Fugaku drags him to the karaoke bar. He’s halfway into his new book, the one that Jiraiya-sama just finished writing, and Junko _still_ hasn’t gone on her mission.

The Nara’s only explanation is, “If we have to break up a bar fight, I want the Yellow Flash scaring off all prospective males.”

Fugaku snorts, “He also wants you to protect him from Yoshino’s fist if she decides to get violent.”

“I still don’t understand why I have to go with you to pick up your wives,” he frowns because Icha Icha calls for him.

“Because Sakura-san is there,” Hisashi’s eyes crackle with chakra, “And I’m sure you want to get there before the bar opens up for the regulars.”

And Minato flashes through the streets like lightning.

.

Fugaku opens the door to the karaoke bar and flashes his badge to the bouncer. He leads them to another secluded part of the bar, a room with dark curtains. Shikaku parts the curtains and groans when he sees the room. Hiashi almost winces at the wobbly pour Hikari gives Tsume.

Mikoto is giggling in a corner – Fugaku exhales in relief and goes to her – and the rest of the girls are at the bar and giggling on the countertop.

Minato is wary of Sakura’s boots, they are high and the muscles of her legs – thankfully – are hidden by dark shinobi pants, he isn’t sure how he would feel if she wore a skirt that the entire bar could look up towards.

Then the bass drops.

Yoshino grabs Sakura by the hips and Sakura grabs Tsume’s shoulders and they sing and dance without a care in the world.

.

It’s dark now, the lights flash and they jump on the counter. The beat is in her face, the lights are gorgeous and she’s so _warm_. Tsume laughs at something and screams into her mic. Sakura isn’t singing anymore, just dancing and swaying her long hair. Yoshino holds onto Sakura, a giggling mess, but her eyes twinkle in the dark of the room.

But then Yoshino’s gone and green eyes blink. Hiashi and Hikari need both of their hands to yank Tsume from the counter. Wanting to see where her friend has gone, Sakura twists too fast, she’s toppling, falling—

—and Minato catches her.

.

“What are you doing here?” Sakura’s equilibrium is lop-sided, she wants to metabolize the alcohol, but she likes the buzz it gives her.

“Shikaku dragged me,” he says, his arm is tight around her hips, even as she stumbles, and it feels like he’s trying to bring her closer into him—until he can swallow her whole.

“Ah,”

“And I couldn’t find you,” Minato says quickly.

“You were looking for me?”

“Wanted a spar,”

“Hm,”

“You know,” Minato starts off, blue eyes stare at her, “You’re quiet when you’re drunk.”

“I am _not_ drunk,”

“You’re stumbling—”

“Fine, I’m tipsy,” Sakura rolls her eyes.

“—and you have a habit of falling off tables,” his eyes twinkle.

“Low blow, Minato,” she huffs, “Low blow.”

“At least let me carry you,”

“Do you _want_ me to get sick?”

.

Sakura wakes up to Minato’s face. She’s not hungover – because she wasn’t drunk – but there’s something strange about it. She feels like she’s been stuffed inside of a cloud, chewed up and spat out. She’s in her bed and she’s wearing all her clothes – sans her boots but that’s a different story – and Minato is inches from her face.

The blanket covers her shoulders, the sun is behind her, but the lake of gold doesn’t leave her pillows.

He’s still sleeping.

She wants to question her life choices, but instead, she sighs, closes her eyes, and goes back to sleep.

.

Minato opens his eyes when he’s sure Sakura is asleep.

His fingers brush the sides of her face.

She doesn’t stir.

.

Sakura wakes up an hour and a half later to the smell of miso soup and something that smells like rice. She rises up and rubs her eyes tiredly. Kakashi _better_ not be in her kitchen, she still hasn’t gotten the burn marks off her stove. Stumbling out of bed, she makes her way to the kitchen and is amazed to see a traditional Japanese breakfast on her table.

There are two bowls of rice, bowls of steaming miso with tofu and green onions, rolled omelets, and what looks like grilled salmon. Minato grabs a pot of tea and puts it on the table.

He’s wearing her yellow-colored apron which is dotted with sunflowers and red hearts.

She raises a brow in amusement at this domestic side of him, “Nice apron.”

Minato grins, “It goes with my hair.”

Sakura takes a seat and he pours her a cup of tea. He waits until she takes a bite out of her meal before following her. Twisting her chopsticks in her fish, she chews slowly, “Is there anything you can’t do?”

He thinks about it for a moment, “I can’t sing.”

Sakura’s ears burn, “How long were you there?”

“At the bar? Fifteen minutes.”

She brings the cup of her tea to her mouth and swallows, “I see.”

“I couldn’t tell if you were screaming or singing,” he smiles sweetly.

_She fucking hates him._

“Both,” she hides her mortification by sipping her soup.

Sakura doesn’t ask him why he stays with her this time, and she most _certainly_ doesn’t ask why he was in her bed.

She doesn’t think she’s ready for the answer.

.

“Remember,” Sakura fix the edges of her hair with quick fingers, “Smile even when he’s not being funny. If you can get him to buy you a stick of dango, consider that a success.”

“But what if he doesn’t?” Rin plays with the edge of her skirt.

“He will,” she promises and then hands her a tube of lip gloss, “Remember, shoulders back, a smile and a tilt of the head. Confident but not too much. Smile, but not teeth. A quirk of the lips.”

Rin nods determined.

“Alright, up to it,” Sakura pats her on the shoulder and takes a seat at a nearby teashop —a teashop where the rest of her team waits for her, and she could already _taste_ the trouble.

“What’s Rin-chan doing?” Obito asks curiously, he sits next to Kakashi and watches his female teammate walk up to the dango stand.

Sakura winces, “Training,”

“What kind of training involves dango?” Kakashi inquires wryly.

“The one that requires persuasion,”

Kakashi tilts his head, “Persuasion?”

Minato’s eyes snap towards her and he echoes, “Persuasion.” 

Sakura rolls her eyes, “Were you planning on teaching her Minato?”

The idea of Minato seducing anyone puts a bad taste in her mouth. The idea that his stupid blonde head in between a woman’s neck, hands on her skin, the ocean of his eyes swallowing the— _nope_. Not going down this road.

Because Minato knows that persuasion is another word for _seduction._

.

“She’s twelve, Sakura,” Minato tells her once Rin comes back with a grin and a stick of dango. They leave the kids at the teashop and head for the weapons store.

“Seduction doesn’t have to be sexual, Minato,” Sakura rolls her eyes, “It can be just that. Getting information without attacking. It’s better she learns the basics now, just in case.”

Minato’s hand blocks her path, it slams on the side of the wooden beam and he asks, “In case _what_?”

She looks at him, “In case you’re not there, in case Kakashi and Obito aren’t there. In case she’s being sent on one of _those_ missions. She needs to be able to take care of herself. She needs to be prepared—”

“Prepared for _what_ ,” Minato leans into her closer, anger brushes him and he _refuses_ to go down Sakura’s line of thought. He hisses, “Prepared for—”

“You can’t protect her forever, Minato,” Sakura levels him with a look, “You’re going to have to give Kakashi and Obito the _talk_ soon. Especially Kakashi, when he joins the ranks and puberty starts to hit. We can’t shield them forever. The Hokage will want—”

“I _will_ be Hokage—”

“You don’t know that—”

“—but you do,” Minato drops.

Sakura steps back, “You of all people know that when you become a shinobi, your body is not yours, it is the Hokage’s and the village’s.”

Minato looks at her with eyes of salt and seas, and he promises, “It won’t be like that forever.”

“Shinobi are tools, Minato,” Sakura says suddenly, and she is reminded of Naruto’s innocuous ideals and desires, “Remember that.”

.

It’s been a few days since Minato and Sakura’s sort-of fight. It’s been a long time coming, she thinks. She is eight months into this new dynamic, the time period if she needs to clarify. There have been all sorts of tension between the two of them. Their students pick up on that, but she needs some space— _they_ need some space.

It’s a prelude of some sort.

The calm before the storm.

A week full of rotations, impromptu training lessons with Rin, and Danzo decides to make his mark.

.

With Root settling into the ground, Danzo creates his guard dogs and sets spies across the area. Orochimaru is one of them. She informs the Hokage of her distrust, her thoughts and he agrees to a meeting—a confrontation at least because if there is one thing Sakura is good at, it’s earning trust and respect.

Danzo is his friend, but if Sakura – his unofficial shinobi – sees something he doesn’t see, it’s only proper that he follow up with it.

But Sakura doesn’t wait for the rat to leave its hole, she sets the trap and hopes Minato picks up the pieces.

.

With a low-level wind jutsu, the cloth and bandages fall from the Danzo’s body and the entire room can hear Fugaku’s audible gasp. With the Uchiha patriarch in full on shock, the revulsion that sweeps through Minato is almost as blinding as his fury.

Hiruzen drops his pipe in and barks, “Danzo! What have you done?”

“Protecting Konoha as I’ve always done,” the humiliation burns more than his anger.

No one stops the Uchiha clan leader from tackling the elder onto the floor. Chakra humming in the air like a live thing. Minato gives it a few minutes before he grabs Fugaku and yanks him back, “These are war crimes, Fugaku.”

“A trial,” The Third Hokage announces with a cracked voice, “Danzo Shimura you will be trialed and punished by right of the Uchiha clan.”

“Daisuke,” Fugaku’s eyes bleed red and Shisui’s father – that’s what Mikoto called him before – stands next to him. “We will rip out the sharingan, one by one, burn it, and only then will our family members rest.”

Daisuke’s sharingan flickers to hell-red and advances towards Shimura, “Yes, Fugaku-sama.”

Sakura’s eyes leave Danzo once his screams start and narrow them at Orochimaru.

It’s a message, one that Minato sees.

_I’m coming for you next._

.

Orochimaru defects the next day.

And Sakura doesn’t have it in herself to tell the Hokage: _I told you so._

.

Danzo’s trial begins when Sakura is instructed to leave with a team of shinobi to take out the rest of Danzo’s underground, illegal, and immoral agents who have been running amuck since his fall. Minato isn’t included in the team, much to everyone’s surprise.

“I need you here, for the trial and to stand with Fugaku,” Hiruzen tells him that day, “I need you to show the village a united front. Show them this is the village, where we live, breathe, sweat, bleed, and die together. Show them unanimity.”

If Minato wants to be Hokage, he has to step out of the field – into paperwork, in an office – and deal with the problems within the village.

He wants to protest because Sakura would be leaving the village without him and she hasn’t left the village without him— _ever._

“I’ll be fine,” Sakura pinches Obito’s cheeks, ruffles Kakashi’s hair, and gives Rin a hug. “Seriously, you guys. It’s fine. It’s only a month!”

“A month without you!” Obito cries out, embarrassment seems to fly over his head, “Who is going to protect me from Kakashi’s dogs?”

“Rin?” she chuckles.

“You’re a terrible ninja,” Kakashi snorts and then hisses when Rin whacks the back of his head.

“Be nice, Kakashi!”

“You’ve corrupted my students, Sakura,” Minato materializes next to her, the post of the gate rests against her back and she turns her head.

“It’s the best type of corruption,” she sniffs.

He chuckles.

“How many people are on your team?” Rin asks.

“Ten,” Sakura answers, “Shikaku-san is leading.”

“I heard he put you second-in-command,” Kakashi chimes in.

“I think Yoshino-chan told him to,” she snorts and crosses her arms, “Because I’m the only medic on the team. If they want to come back _alive_ , they have no choice but to listen to me.”

Rin beams at her shishou.

“But how are you doing, Minato-sensei?” Obito leans in with a sympathetic expression, “Chouza-sensei told us.”

Minato scowls at nothing in particular.

“What are you talking about?” she frowns.

“Minato-sensei’s ex-girlfriend sent him a wedding invitation,” Kakashi drops the bomb and the world underneath her feet shifts.

“What?” she blinks, her ears have gone fuzzy, but the scene doesn’t change, “She did _what_?”

“I know! It’s so _mean_ ,” Rin sighs and then pats her sensei’s shoulder in comfort, “It will be okay sensei—”

“—she sent you an invite? To her _wedding_?” Sakura can’t wrap her mind around this, “ _Why?_ ”

“What do you mean _why_ ,” Kakashi scoffs, “He’s still _friends_ with her even though—”

“That’s enough, Kakashi,” Minato snaps, frustration keen on his brows.

Kakashi closes his mouth shut and looks at Obito in disbelief.

Sakura blinks at the irritation heady in his tone, “Are you going to go?”

“Should I?”

She steps back at the change in tone, “I—I don’t know. Did you end on good terms?”

Minato shrugs, “Sort of. We still write messages to each other, every other month. But I don’t know.”

“What would you do, Sakura-sensei?” Rin demands her input.

Sakura thinks about it, “Well if it was me and Sas—” she coughs and Minato’s eyes narrow at the name, “I wouldn’t go. Just because. I mean there are other factors you have to consider.”

“Like what?” he presses.

Sakura shrugs, “Well if you’ve met someone new and you’re way happier with them then you were with your ex, my best friend used to call it the flame thrower. It’s to rub in their face that the new person you’re with is better looking and just an upgrade than your previous partner. It’s petty, but it’s revenge,” then she tilts her head, “Then there’s the other part where you genuinely are happy with the person you are with now and want to thank your ex for breaking up with you.”

“They both sound petty,” Kakashi interjects.

“Yes, but only one will make you feel good in the end, and isn’t that what matters the most?”

.

Sakura nods at her mission teammates and runs back to her students, “Shikaku-san is taking point, so I have to go.”

“Bye sensei,” the three of them, even _Kakashi_ – she wants to tease him _so badly_ but she feels like she might end up choking on her own hysterical giggle – hugs her and it warms her from the inside out.

Minato looks at them with a small smile.

She swallows her nerves and faces him, “I—”

Minato brings her into his arms, arms locked around her waist, face buried in her neck and he squeezes her sweetly. “I’ve known you almost an entire year and you think a wave will make me worry less?”

Sakura smiles into his hair, “You were the one that didn’t know how to talk to me for two months.”

“I am an excellent student, can’t you tell?” he chuckles.

“Funny, that makes two of us,” she breathes.

Minato pulls back, cups her cheeks with both hands and for one heart-pounding moment—she thinks he’s going to kiss her.

But he tells her instead, “I’m not going to that wedding. I haven’t even opened the invitation.”

“Okay?” she doesn’t know why he tells her this.

Minato tells her with heaven-blue eyes, “Come back to me.”

And it’s the way he says it.

_Come back to me._

His thumb runs down her jawline and she forgets the world when she drowns in him.

“Come back to me,” he repeats and he pins her with nothing but the weight of the sea.

She takes refuge in those eyes of his, oceans that keep her safe and swallow her whole.

_Come back for me._

.

The mission, inevitably, goes sideways.

ROOT has training mechanisms and strategies that have her and the shinobi she goes with, spinning. It takes more than a month to remove the saplings. It takes ninety days of fighting, hunting, and scouting. They take them out, fortunately, everyone is healed and healthy.

But it’s Sakura who falls unconscious after sealing her comrade’s last wound.

.

Shikaku is the one that brings her into the hospital. The Hokage is notified, the medics are running into the lobby, sealing off the room and he doesn’t need to _breathe_ to know that Minato is waiting in the ER.

“What happened?” Minato’s voice borders on rough, loud, as he demands answers.

“I don’t know,” he hisses, shoulder dislocated, but he soldiers forward, “She collapsed after healing Chouza.”

“Tsunade-chan won’t be here until dusk,” The Hokage makes his entrance, he frowns when he sees Sakura flat on the stretcher and places his hands at the sides.

Inoichi blinks, “Tsunade-hime is coming back—?”

“Later,” Minato bites, his fingers brush down her jaw to her neck, two fingers sliding down her throat _praying_ for a pulse. When he finds one, he sighs, presses her hand to his forehead, and ignores the looks of disbelief the nin in the room give him, “She’s steady but slow.”

The Hokage decides to act, “Where are the medics, surely they can—"

“Why are you all so _loud_?” Sakura groans, her free hand rubs her forehead, and then she opens her eyes, “It’s just chakra exhaustion.”

Minato stares down at her, the ocean is nothing but a storm, dark and heavy. He drops to his knees, hard bone against marble and repeats the words, hoping that the threat to his sanity folds back, his voice is thick, hitching with raindrops, “Chakra exhaustion?”

She swallows and then squeezes his hand, “I’m fine.”

He sighs in relief; it’s a wet sound, heavy on the bones, and exhausts the soul, “Thank God.”

Minato leans down, cups her face, and kisses her.


	4. tried to stick by you

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SMUT. LIME. WORDS.

“Again,” Minato’s voice rings through the forest, and Sakura falls to her knees in an attempt to keep the nausea down.

“How,” Sakura gasps, “Do you keep moving,” another intake of air, “So fast?”

The Hiraishin is twice as disorientating as the shunshin. Minato is lightning personified, detailed in his footwork and when he moves it’s like water; fluid. Sakura moves fast, even with the Hiraishin, but it’ll be almost like a stalemate if she ever gets as good as him.

“Practice,” he grins, teeth brighter than the sun – he could actually give Gai a run for his money with that smile – but it suits him just fine and then he rakes a hand down her hair, “The queasiness passes. It’s just something you stop feeling or learn to ignore.”

“That does not sound good,” she inhales deeply and resists the urge to lean into the warmth of his hand.

“It’s fine,” Minato soothes her with gentle fingers, “Can you go again?”

Sakura’s stomach lurches and it’s not because of the nausea.

.

“Will,” she grits her teeth, flashes again, and makes a move to grab him, “You _keep_ still?!”

“That defeats the purpose,” Minato laughs and it echoes in trees. He uses Hiraishin and disappears behind her. She’s waiting for him, her fingers grasp the edges of his blue top and then it’s gone.

Sakura shrieks in irritation.

She slams a seal next to the river and punches the ground. Minato hesitates for a fraction of a second and it gives Sakura enough time to toss him into a tree. The blonde goes flying before he disappears again.

“Using your opponent’s confusion against them is a good tactic,” he compliments her from a nearby branch.

Sakura grumbles and grabs her knees in exhaustion. It’s been _hours._ She thought Tsunade-sama was a slave-driver, but this man has eons and eons of _patience._ He will sit and _wait_ for her to move. Then he will stop, which causes a chain reaction and she’s stumbling, looking for even ground.

She doesn’t feel the nausea anymore, a headache pulses behind her left eyelid and she inhales.

“If you manage to touch me, just once,” Minato offers with a soft smile – it feels patronizing – which reveals teeth, his eyes crinkle at the edges. It’s the way he tilts his head in a gentle tease that further emphasizes her first point, “Then we can—”

Sakura uses Hiraishin thrice. Once to disappear in front of him. The second to lead him into a false trap and the third is to shove him on the ground. She moves quickly, cutting off the chakra branches in his wrist, thighs, and stomach. Without out the main part of his chakra to focus on, he can’t force chakra into the seal behind him.

She rests her weight on his thighs and beams, “You were saying?”

.

“Yield,”

“I did not lose.”

“I just cut your chakra off, yield.”

“Sakura, you did _not_ win.”

“If this was a real fight, you would be dead. Now _yield._ ”

.

In the end, because Minato and Sakura are both equally stubborn and childish, Minato ends up distracting Sakura from using her super enhanced-strength – the very same one that pins him down – and by _distraction_ —

—he means kissing her until she loses all sense of time.

.

Minato kisses her and _kisses_ her. His hands flat on her back, her stomach quivers over his abdomen at the stretch, he pulls her closer until her nose brushes the sides of his. He kisses her like he’s the only he needs to _breathe_ , the taste of her saturates his senses and he presses her deeper into him.

Then he flips her over and her legs never leave his waist.

.

“Cheater,” Sakura gasps when she feels teeth at her nape, fingers running up her ribs, tracing the bumps of her shoulders.

Minato laughs into her neck, then hisses when she retaliates with a twist of her hips, “ _Sakura,_ you have to let go.”

She bites the underside of his jaw, “You started it.”

His thumbs dig into a sensitive space in between her ribs and she arches back. Minato’s voice is gravel and smoke, “ _Focus_ Sakura.”

.

“Is this necessary?” Sakura pouts as she’s shoved into the tightest black dress Tsume could find.

“It’s your twenty-first birthday, Sakura-chan,” Yoshino chides, “You’re going to have the birthday party that Hikari-chan and Mikoto-chan took a week to plan.”

“How are you with heels?” Hikari asks and pulls out a pair of black, strappy, block heels.

“Decent,” she affirms, Ino’s made sure she even knows how to _run_ in them.

Tsume zips her up.

_Oh._

It’s a black, high neck, form-fitting sleeveless dress with, an open back that dips at the base of her spine. It’s satin from the feel of it, and the edges of the dress brush the tops of her thighs. Her back feels horribly exposed and she can’t hide the shiver when Yoshino teasingly traces a finger down her spine.

“Yoshino!”

A giggle.

“Minato is going to eat his heart out,” Tsume mutters to Mikoto who chuckles.

Sakura ties her hair into a high bun and then turns to look at them, “What?”

“Nothing!”

.

Who knew Mikoto was skilled with eyeliner? She should’ve expected it, really. The Uchiha matriarch, a God when it comes to cosmetics and posture? Accurate. After scolding Sakura on her posture and walk, she finished her face and gave her a pair of dangly earrings.

“Happy Birthday, Sakura-chan!”

A pair of gold leaf earrings, about the size of her thumbnail, embedded with a sapphire on the left tip of the leaf and an emerald stone hung on the twin.

“It’s beautiful, Mikoto-chan,” Sakura beams, gives her a hug – mindful of Sasuke, she doesn’t need to give him any more brain damage – and quickly fastens on the earrings, “But why sapphire and emerald?”

Hikari sighs.

.

The walk to the party – which was at a karaoke bar that they had gone to earlier that year – took less than five minutes with heels.

Which in a way, is a blessing.

“Sakura-sensei!” Obito’s scream can be heard from the other side of the room, he runs towards her – she cringes when everyone turns to look at her – and gives her a hug, “Happy birthday, Sakura-sensei!”

There’s an obnoxious orange box shoved in her face, “Open my present!

“I was here first, dobe,” Kakashi scowls from the right, “Get in line.”

“She’s my shishou!” Rin gets in the middle.

Sakura sighs.

Well, at least some things don’t change.

.

Sakura sits at the bar nursing a cup of hot sake, she eyes her students in the corner of the room, they are intent on playing a game of _war_ with Shikaku and Chouza. Yoshino is serving drinks and Mikoto in all her pregnancy stays on the couch with Fugaku irritating her.

There’s a hand that swipes up the bare expanse of her back, she hides a shiver – when she realizes by _scent_ that this man isn’t Minato – with a growl and turns her head.

An Uchiha clan member; _wonderful._

She’s had enough Uchiha drama to deal with for a whole lifetime.

“Can I help you?” her eyebrow twitches.

“Actually,” he takes a seat next to her – as if she’s asked him to join her – and leans in closer, “Fugaku-sama invited me. I wanted to thank you for bringing Danzo to justice.”

Her prejudice makes her feel the tiniest bit guilty.

“Oh,” she blinks, “It’s no problem. Mikoto-chan is my friend and I’d do anything to help her.”

The clan member acts as if he hasn’t heard her, he leans in closer, fingers dragging against the delicate skin of her lightly-muscled shoulder, pulling closer to her bareback and—

—and then a hand grabs the offending appendage in a grip that could rival her’s.

“I’d keep my hands off things that can break you in half,” Minato’s voice is quiet against her ear, but his chest is warm against the bare skin of her back. His scent engulfs her, it’s of ocean, of salt, something cooling and burning at the same time.

“I’m not afraid of you, Namikaze,” he hisses and yanks his hand back.

“I wasn’t speaking about me,” he replies calmly.

Sakura focuses chakra into her eyes until they glow _neon._

And he disappears by the time she takes her next breath.

.

“Thanks,” Sakura mumbles into her glass, “I was thinking of throwing him into a wall.”

“Don’t thank me,” Minato exhales, the air tickling the back of her neck and he takes a seat next to her, knees brushing her bare ones, “I had half a mind bringing Fugaku into the conversation.”

“How terrifying,”

Minato chuckles and grabs a glass of sake.

.

“I’ve never seen you drink before,” Sakura watches with wide eyes as he sips his sake like it’s tea.

“We’ve never gone drinking before,” he points out, Yoshino pours him another cup – while giving him a sly wink – and continues, “Somehow, I always get saddled with the task of putting you to bed.”

It wouldn’t have been too bad if she—stops blushing, somehow.

“I didn’t hear you complaining,” she scowls.

Minato’s smirk is slow and deliberate, “I don’t mind.”

And her face _burns._

.

“What do you mean _we_?” she scoffs, “ _I_ healed your sorry ass and you have the _nerve_ to—”

“What are we talking about, kids?” Tsume leans into Sakura’s shoulder, her fingers tracing her biceps and a very strange scar.

“I was telling Minato that it was _his_ entire fault that he underestimated me. I punched him in the ribs _months_ ago and he’s still—"

“Wait,” Tsume blinks and then looks at Minato in disbelief, “You managed to hit the blondie?”

“ _Yes._ So—”

“Oi! Fugaku you owe me a drink!” she calls out across the room, pecks Sakura on the head and skips across the room, “I _told_ you they were perfect together! Sakura-chan actually managed to _deck_ , blondie! Tell _me_ she isn’t amazing, I fucking _dare_ you.”

Sakura thinks her face will permanently stay red, “Why does no one want to hear _how_ I hit you?”

Minato shrugs and knocks his knees with hers, “They’re more interested in why I kissed you.”

Sakura gapes at him.

.

Minato’s audacity knows no bounds when he has liquor in him, Sakura is beginning to notice.

“You just can’t _say_ that,” Sakura hisses because what the _hell_ is she supposed to say to that?

“What?”

“People can _hear_ ,” she motions to the room.

He leans in closer, the starlight of his eyes twinkles with the flicker of candlelight. It’s beautiful in a cosmic euphoric haze, he settles in her blood like poison, even when his foot hooks over the edge of the stool, yanks her closer, and breathes her in, “Tell me, where do you want to go?”

.

“Tsume-sensei,” Rin walks up to her, dragging her two teammates behind her.

“Are you three allowed to be here, kid?” she frowns at Minato’s brats.

“Do you want to earn three dango sticks?” she steels her shoulders, Sakura-sensei always told her, it is your posture holds the authority.

It’s not the question that intrigues her or the dango that entices her, but the word: _earn._

“Talk to me, kid,” Tsume slams her up on down on the table.

“Minato-sensei likes Sakura-sensei,” Obito points out.

“And Sakura-sensei likes Minato-sensei,” Kakashi finishes.

“Obviously,” Tsume rolls her eyes.

“But they aren’t—” Rin groans as she tries to explain, “Can you do something? It’s Shishou’s birthday and they’ve had all this _tension_ since they kissed.”

“Wait—” Tsume blinks and sits up, “They—they _kissed?_ ”

“Did Shikaku-sensei not tell you?” Obito wrinkles his nose.

The fact that these brats knew before she is saying something to her. Tsume glances at Yoshino then at Chouza. She shakes her head, “Don’t worry kids, ” she grins with her teeth, wild and untamed, “It’s time to shake things up a bit.”

.

The thing is, Minato and Sakura have both effectively _ignored_ all the stolen kisses they’ve had – well he kissed her both times but logistics really – they push it to the side, well, Sakura does, because it’s the type of kiss that’s given in the heat of the moment, right?

Sakura doesn’t want to look into it, she doesn’t want to over _think_ it, because—because _why_ should she?

.

Obito watches from the corner of the room, he holds the two glasses tightly and then disappears, “Here.”

He shoves a cup towards Kakashi and Rin.

Rin blinks, “Is this _alcohol?_ ”

“We’re _underage,_ dobe,” Kakashi hisses in disbelief.

“Think of it as training!” he says innocently, curious about the taste.

“What do you mean training?” Rin narrows her eyes.

“Uh, poison training?” Obito scratches the back of his head, “A tolerance?”

Rin and Kakashi look at each other.

.

Tsume has the beat change, he has Chouza and Inoichi pillar Minato. She has Yoshino on her twelve, Mikoto at her three, and Hikari running interference with Sakura. Fugaku gives her the sign and she grins toothily. The lights dim and the red hues of the lamps wash over the room.

Yoshino and Hikari both grab Sakura and drag her to the dance floor.

She lets out a yelp when she stumbles on the ground into the middle of the floor and Minato’s eyes don’t leave her.

.

“So, are you going to tell me what’s going on with you and Sakura-chan?” Chouza takes Sakura’s vacant seat and gives him a raised brow.

“There’s nothing to tell,” Minato says simply.

“Oh?” Inoichi snorts unamused, “Then tell me why you kissed her in the hospital?”

Minato feels his ears burn, but avoids the Yamanaka clan’s leader’s gaze. He likes her, it’s obvious to him as it is for his comrades to see. At the same time, there is something about Sakura that pushes all his buttons in a way that no man _or_ woman ever could.

“You were never this aggressive with Kushina,” Inoichi points out and then narrows his eyes, “Don’t go comparing Sakura-chan with her, it’s not fair to the both of them.”

“I am _not_ comparing Sakura with her,” Minato snaps, eyes heavy with hurricanes, the alcohol loosens his tongue and his control, “I don’t want to overwhelm her.”

“She’s called the _pink monster_ – a horrible moniker really – for a reason,” Chouza shakes his head, “Give her some credit, _please._ I saw her rip out someone’s spine and slap them with it.”

Minato snorts into his drink.

The both of them grin at Minato’s amusement; Sakura really is a good influence on him.

“Chances are, she’ll scare you,” Shikaku joins in with a pat on the back, “And that is a good thing, my friend.”

Chouza stares at him, “How _much_ did you drink?”

“Don’t know, Yoshino kept my glass full,”

Inoichi grimaces; a lot then.

“I don’t get why you’re fighting yourself,” the Yamanaka heir rolls his eyes and slaps the back of Namikaze’s head, “I’m tired of this melodrama. You like her and she obviously likes you. Just go for it, you’ve already wasted enough time!”

Minato rubs the back of his head and glares, “ _Fine_!”

Anything to stop the abuse.

“And put a step on it, lover-boy,”

Chouza points to a man psyching himself up to dance with Sakura.

He flashes.

.

Yoshino sees him before Sakura registers it. She pushes Sakura into him, gives Minato a wave, grabs Hikari, and spins her into Hiashi. Might as well put as much people on the floor, it makes for a better party and makes a hasty exit difficult.

.

Minato’s hands grab her hips, spins her until they’re chest to chest, his hands splayed across the bare expanse of her back and her hands press against his chest instinctively. She inhales when pulls her closer and her hands drift upwards to his shoulders. The beat is faster, more melodic and his feet are moving in sync with hers.

“You lied,” Sakura accuses with shock and looks at him with wide eyes, “You told me you couldn’t dance!”

“Correction,” Minato spins her until her back is against his chest, hands at her hips, moving in slow circles to the beat of the bass, the pulse of her throat, and the rush of her blood. His shirt’s – which is a regular civilian white dress shirt that’s sheer enough to _see_ the copper of _his_ – flimsy buttons graze the sensitive skin of her back, his face dips next to her ear and he whispers, “I can’t _sing._ ”

.

He spins her around, again and again, when the beat is slower and the magic trickles into heat.

Tsume changes the beat to something slower, heavy in the treble, but no less electrically charged.

.

Sakura knows, logically, that she should think of Naruto when she sees Minato, but the thing is: she _doesn’t._

Minato’s eyes are bluer, like oceans with hints of sage. They change with him, heavy storms in his rage and moonlight in the night.

She sees starlight in them sometimes and she thinks it’s her favorite shade of blue.

His hair is more golden, there are shades of bronze and flecks of brown.

He’s so _different._

There’s an intensity in him, a quiet type of peace about him, intermingling with his intelligence and elegance. He reminds her, sometimes, of a Daimyo, untouchable and awe-inspiring. His self-control is like steel, unyielding, even when she’s on the cusp of danger, he is _rational_ about it but no less furious. He is passionate, humble, gentle, wholesome and above all _considerate_ with the people around him.

And when Minato touches her, the world disappears.

.

Sakura doesn’t know how or when, but they stumble outside.

Mouth against mouth, chest against chest, and hands _everywhere._

Minato has his hands in her hair – her bun somehow gets lost in the fray – on the back of her neck, and when blunt fingernails scratch down her bare back, she _writhes_ into his chest. The shivers melding into a dull, throbbing ache that takes refuge in the pit of her belly.

Tongue curling inside his cheek, she wraps a leg around his waist and he presses her up against the wall of the building.

Minato could hardly _think._

Not with the way her hands twist in his hair when she scrapes a path of fire down his chest or grinds herself onto his groin. Sakura knows what she’s doing, that much is obvious, she is deliberate in the twisting of her hips and the nips she peppers down his jawline. 

They kiss in the dark and bare underneath the moonlight.

He hates to admit that Inoichi was right.

Minato _has_ wasted enough time.

.

When Sakura pops a few buttons of his shirt loose and when Minato leaves a handful of bitemarks down her throat, they hear a door slam open. Sakura stiffens as she slides down his waist and Minato pulls her closer into his chest.

“But, Tsume-sensei, didjaa,” Rin hiccups who holds onto Kakashi, who holds down onto Obito, and wobbles, “Do what I say?”

Sakura’s jaw drops, she spins and stares at her students in incredulity, “A—Are you all _drunk?”_

“Sakura-sensei!” Obito slurs, wobbling on his feet, runs towards her, stumbling over a rock and falls into her stomach, “You’re so _pretty_.”

“Who the _hell_ gave you alcohol?” she hisses, grabs onto his shoulders, and helps him up.

“Ah, Sakura-chan, Minato!” Tsume sighs in relief, “Take your kids, I think they got into the shochu cabinet.”

“And how did _that_ happen?” Minato scowls with displeasure, places Kakashi on his shoulder, and takes Rin into his arms.

“Don’t know,” she shrugs and then looks at them, “I found them giggling in a corner and Shikaku found their cups.”

“I’m going to _kill_ them,” Sakura hisses and swings Obito over her shoulder, “And Obito, if you vomit, I’m going to hang you from a tree. _Upside down_.”

A weak groan escapes him.

.

Sakura makes it in record time to the Hatake compound – and in heels! Ino would be so _proud_ – Minato is a half-second behind her. She thinks, that he is purposefully taking his time so he can stare or maybe he doesn’t want anyone staring at her ass.

Either one is acceptable.

.

Sakura pulls out the mattress from the sofa, puts the kids to bed, places three bottles of water on the coffee table for them, and helps Minato cover them with a blanket. She makes sure Kakashi’s head is elevated, removes Obito’s goggles and Rin snuggles into her pillow.

Minato unlaces their shoes and tucks them in.

Then she sighs in a moment of weakness and decides to leave some painkillers next to each bottle of water.

.

When Sakura walks into her room, she doesn’t realize that Minato is behind her even when she hears the door click and lock. She runs a hand threw her hair, places her earrings on to the nightstand, and proceeds to take off her heels.

“Here, let me, ” Minato’s hand is hot and heavy on her back. He drops kisses on her bare shoulder blades, down her spine, and dips his tongue into the base of her spine before she reaches her heels.

Minato unlaces a heel and presses a thumb firmly into her arch.

Sakura’s thighs quiver at the pressure point and her knees weaken when he runs a line up to her to the ball of her foot. He catches her before she hits the floor and sets her on the bed. He grabs her other foot, unlaces the black strappy shoe, and repeats the same process.

He presses into her instep before trailing up her calves, fingers working on the muscle behind her knee, swiping up her thighs and up her hips until he’s at her face.

Minato kisses her slow and deep.

And Sakura melts like butter under a low flame.

.

Sakura’s bed rests directly next to the window. One of the head posts tucked neatly into the corner of the room, the bed sitting directly underneath the windowsill and the moon washes over them in snow-colored hues. Minato pushes her further up the bed until her head rests on the pillow and he hovers over her.

“Is this okay?” Minato asks roughly, fingers drawing shapes, patterns, kanji—something on her clothed stomach.

She wraps her legs around him, pulls the string from holding her dress at the base of her neck, and whispers into his mouth, “Take it off.”

.

Minato’s fingers are rough and gentle when they yank her dress off her body. The callouses of his fingers graze her skin beautifully, he is insistent when he tugs her dress down her knees and tosses it on the ground. She’s braless, wearing only a pair of plain cotton panties. He exhales roughly at the visual, he slides his forearms underneath her back and settles in the hollow between her legs.

Sakura isn’t patient, fingers grasp the edge of his dress shirt, and she tugs until a _rip_ echoes throughout the room. Buttons scatter on the floor like rain in the summer, her hands map out constellations on his pectorals, the jut of his abdomen, and the slope of his navel.

“You’re just beautiful, aren’t you.” Minato murmurs into her clavicle, he dips a tongue in between the space there and slides up, the tip of the tongue touches the point of her chin and dark lashes slant over, a stark contrast against the starlight of his eyes.

He doesn’t question it.

Her beauty, the blush of her hair, the leaves of her eyes, and the satin of her skin. It’s a fact. It’s embedded in gold on the scars of her hands, the strength in her legs, and the fire in her chest. It’s a statement, a certainty, a science that cannot be denied or refuted.

Minato’s hands smoothens down the sides of her ribs slowly, then they slip upwards, cupping her breasts, the nipples pebbling over the brush of his thumbs.

She gasps at the feather-touch, “Minato,”

“Shh,” he quiets her, pressing a gentle kiss on her collarbone, his hands squeeze her breasts softly, thumbs still barely touching the areola. She chases the feeling, but the weight of his hips on hers holds her; out of breath and out of touch.

Minato presses a chaste kiss underneath her jaw, then twists her nipples suddenly, roughly and the juxtaposition of sensations causes her brain to short-circuit.

.

Sakura whimpers at the sting of her nipples, she inhales sharply when he sucks away the sting. Teeth grazing the swollen buds, his tongue curling and flicking over the tip. He pulls away with a _plop,_ and focuses on its twin.

She aches in the space between her hips, the fire stings, and builds as he worships her breasts.

When he slides off her underwear, he parts her thighs tossing one leg over his and moves the other thigh until it’s parallel with her hip.

Sakura’s heart _squeezes_ when he drops a sweet kiss to her mound.

The implications make her dizzy.

.

She’s so exposed in front of Minato, his thumb pulls at her outer lips, the other resting right against her clit. She glistens under his hands, with pearls and dewdrops. He doesn’t rub her in small circles, he presses down on her nub, _hard,_ and rubs her up and down.

Sakura yelps, hips jerking at the sudden rough, quick strokes. Her surprise evident and welcoming, if the shivers don’t speak. He presses a kiss to her lips, sweetly, softly, and rests his forehead against her’s.

“Hush,” Minato kisses the corner of her mouth and hums against her lips, “You don’t want to wake up the kids.”

.

Minato doesn’t release the hold he has on her eyes. His eyes are brighter than sapphires, starlight, and salt. Sakura can’t look away any more than she can stop raking her nails down his back, he anchors even when she feels the vibrations from her own body overtake her.

Then he stops.

Sakura gasps, high and sharp.

He licks his thumb, presses down, slips two fingers inside and _curls._

.

Sakura is like the ocean. She trashes underneath him, hips jerking and stomach quivering. She’s wild and powerful, but Minato still doesn’t circle her. He presses hard on her clit ad chafes his thumb across the sensitive tissue in hard, swift motions. Sakura whimpers and twists her hands in the sheets. Writhing on the bed, she trembles and he holds her down.

Minato brushes a wet kiss to her bottom lip, “Shh, relax for me, Sakura.”

“I—I _can’t_ ,” the last words wrap around her mouth in a whine. Jade orbs gloss over, he presses a kiss on her nose and holds her over the edge.

“Yes, you can,” he sound so sure, so _certain_ and then he twists his hand just _so_ —

Minato swallows the erotic, breathy scream that leaves her lips when she breaks into her orgasm.

.

Sakura is _flying._

Weightless, breathless, and so _warm._ She’s dizzy, fingers tracing clouds on his back, mouth moving against his lazily, and when she settles back onto earth, a low purr vibrates through her chest from the satisfaction.

Minato chuckles against her cheek.

Sakura still collects the stars when she opens her eyes. Blue melding into gold and then into moonlight. Her fingers tangle in his hair, cornflower silk, and daffodils.

“Hi,” he greets her softly, “Okay?”

Sakura’s brain is still looking for the pieces, she can’t communicate verbally, but she can kiss him and hope that he can hear her body sing for him.

.

Sakura dips her hand into his pants, thumb stroking the length of him, and bites down his hiss when she dances on the slit. He makes quick work on his pants, kicking the offending material down his legs and cradles himself in between her hips.

She twists her wrists going down the base, squeezes him and tugs at the tip.

Minato moans into her ear and suddenly, it’s not enough.

.

“Next time,” Minato gasps when she makes the move to slip him home, he slides the tip over the wet slips of flesh, “Next time. When we have time. When I can take you without the fear of stopping. When I have time to taste you properly. Next time,” he pauses to flick the head over her clit and when she whines at the jolt of electricity, he looks at her with moonbeams, “When I can take my time with you.”

And a blanket of snow covers the crown of roses.

.

Sakura wakes up to hair in her mouth.

Minato’s hair to be precise. Her head is buried in the crook of his neck, nose brushing his pulse, leg thrown carelessly over his waist, and a hand resting over his heart. He has an arm around her shoulders, palm resting against the wider part of her hip and his other hand underneath his head.

She blinks slowly, tilts her head downwards, and removes her leg from his waist.

The sun washes over Minato in marigolds. His chest is bare underneath her fingers, the steady rhythm of his heart settles her, but she can feel his pulse jump when she twitches.

Sakura rubs her eyes self-consciously and looks up.

“Morning,” Minato is rough and wonderful even sleepy.

_She fucking hates how attractive this man is._

“I look like a raccoon, don’t I?” she groans back into her pillow. She hates it when she forgets to take off her makeup, Minato could look like half a god in Sasuke’s ugly, purple, ass ribbon and she’d look like one of Ibiki’s victims.

“A very pretty, raccoon,” Minato tells her with a half-smile, blonde hair lazily curling against his cheek, his thumb swipes underneath her eyelid and the glitter from last night smears on the pad.

“Jerk,” she whispers not wanting to disrupt the brilliance of Minato Namikaze.

Then there’s a thump and a groan from the next room.

Sakura rolls her eyes, “Looks like the kids are awake.”

Minato sighs into her hair, “I’ll make breakfast, you go clean up,”

“I expect nothing less,” she laughs into his throat and presses a kiss to his pulse. She gets out of bed, ignores her own nudity and is pulled back by a wrist on her hand.

“What?” Sakura blinks quickly, bewildered.

Instead of answering her, Minato cranes his head up, kisses her slow and soft, pulls back and smiles with all the stars in the galaxy, “Happy Birthday.”

.

Sakura walks into the kitchen with clean hair, an over-sized white t-shirt – one that she stole from Minato during a mission – and a soft pair of blue cotton shorts. Obito is nursing a cup of tea, Rin is underneath a blanket at the foot of the table, hiding from the sun and Kakashi buries his head next to the empty plate. 

Minato does a doubletake at her outfit, he thinks, if he squints, he can see the faint outlines of her nipples, which meant—

—no bra.

She smiles sweetly.

He inhales deeply; Sakura was sent on this earth to _torture_ him.

.

“Well,” Sakura takes a seat at the table, she takes a bite of the rolled omelet as Minato pours her a cup of tea. “Do you have anything to say for yourselves?”

Rin flushes in shame.

Kakashi, even with a hangover, manages to point at his teammate, “It was all Obito’s fault!”

Obito whimpers into his rice, “We just wanted to try it.”

“You’re underage, Obito,” Minato narrows his eyes, he takes a seat next to Sakura and somehow, still manages to look intimidating and powerful in Sakura-sensei’s flower apron.

“We wanted to train with it,” Rin admits, “Build up a tolerance like a poison.”

“A poison tolerance,” Sakura sounds impressed, not surprised.

“Sakura?”

“I sort of…did something like that years ago,” she confesses sheepishly.

Rin gapes.

“But,” she straightens up and clarifies, “But it was _with_ poison and I was _supervised._ Alcohol is different. You should know that Rin.”

“I’m disappointed in you three,” Minato backs up her point, he gives them each a bowl of rice and says, “D-Rank missions for sixty days.”

Kakashi and Obito groans.

“I can make it _ninety_ days,” he raises a brow at that.

Sakura chuckles, “Eat up,” she pours herself another cup of tea, “Hangovers aren’t fun especially when we have training later.”

“We have training?” Obito whimpers.

Minato smiles brightly, “Yes.”

Sakura pours herself another cup of tea.

“Are you thirsty, Sakura-sensei?” Rin asks with concern.

She blinks and looks down at her tea, “Guess, I’m just _dehydrated._ ”

Minato chokes on his rice.

She hides a grin behind her tea

.

Obito lays flat, belly-side down on the ground while Rin lays her head on his back, and Kakashi is sprawled on the grass beside him. He grumbles to Kakashi, “I think Minato-sensei has gotten mean since he’s met Sakura-sensei.”

Rin giggles, “It’s cute, isn’t it?”

“The word is _sickening,_ Rin,” Kakashi groans and scowls behind that mask of his, “ _Sickening._ ”

Their sensei(s) spar near the river and it’s too much visual stimuli for the three of them. Since Sakura has learned the Hiraishin, she’s starting to match Minato-sensei’s speed and if that isn’t scary, Obito didn’t know what was.

But Rin thinks the flashes of pink and yellow look like the sun when it rises.

.

Sakura takes two fingers and stabs Minato in the gut, it topples him over and he flashes behind her. He barely manages to grasp the edge of her pants before she flashes again.

Minato grins, “You’re _learning._ ”

“I _am_ an excellent student,” she chuckles when he tries to grab her again.

He nips her ear and disappears.

“Careful,” she hisses and the blood thumps in her ears, “Our kids are right there.”

“I like that,” Minato’s fingers brush the sides of her waist and she flashes above him.

“Like what?” Sakura asks distractedly, she slams a fist into the ground barely missing his cheek and he flashes again.

“ _Our kids_ ,” his mouth is right next to her ear, his fingers dance over hips, pulls the bells clinging to her belt, and whispers, “Check.”

.

“A B-rank mission!” Obito waves his fists, “Thank all the _Gods._ ”

Sakura would like to have word with those _Gods._

“That doesn’t mean you all are off punishment,” Minato warns his students sternly, “The Hokage specifically asked for our team.”

“What’s the mission anyway?” Rin asks when they reach the village gates, she straps her kunai to her thigh holster.

“A kidnapping case,” he explains, “Friend of our _merchant,_ ” he glances at Sakura from the corner of his eye, “A minor government’s official’s daughter has been kidnapped on the island of Taro.”

“We’re going back to the Land of the Sea?” Sakura asks with raised brows.

“You left quite an impression, Sakura.”

.

“It smells _terrible_ ,” Obito brings his shirt up to his face and coughs into his collar, “Why are there so many buildings anyway?”

“Money,” Minato said easily, “Because it’s a chain of islands, they have unlimited natural resources. Setting shop on the islands gives easy access to trade and lessens the number of supplies they need to buy.”

“It’s the pollution,” Sakura adds in, wobbling as she steps on the boat, Minato grabs her hips to steady her, “That or the fish.”

“Is there where you kicked the pirate, Sakura-sensei?” Rin wonders as they settle into the boat, the machine whirs, and the water foams upwards.

“Further out,” Minato answers, he urges Sakura to take the seat in front of him, his knees brushing the top of her back as he takes his place in the back of her.

“Why do you _keep_ talking about it?” she whines.

“Because it’s awesome,” Obito interjects a-matter-of-factly.

Minato snorts.

Rin winces when the smell of rotted fish and seaweed hits the air, “Oh, I _smell_ it now.”

“Why aren’t you complaining?” the Uchiha knocks his teammate on the shoulder.

Kakashi stares at him with a deadened expression and points to his mask, “I can’t _smell_ anything.”

.

“Rin,” Sakura nods towards her, “Take point with Kakashi, Obito use your sharingan and check for chakra disturbances. I’m going to check on Minato.”

Minato’s attempt at gathering intelligence borders from charming to intent listening. She rolls her eyes at his attempt to chat up the bartender, she walks into the bar in her disguise – a formal sundress – and smiles at him.

It’s that smile that worries him.

“Jiraiya-kun,” it’s the name that almost topples him over, he looks at her in aghast and Sakura nearly _howls_ in laughter. She clears her throat, “Did you manage to find a hotel?”

“Tsunade-chan,” it sounds so _wrong_ , but he manages a straight face, “I’ve reserved a room at _Myōjō_ for the weekend.”

Sakura allows her eyes to glitter in delight and she places her hand on the bar table, “I hope my husband isn’t bothering you, he loves to _socialize,_ you see.”

The bartender glances at him with sharp eyes and then smiles at Sakura. She runs a thumb over her knuckles, “No more than you, I see you’re married,”

This was not going how she planned.

Sakura grabs onto Minato’s arm, takes a sip of his drink and pinches him ever-so-subtly, “For a year now, Jiraiya-kun thought it would be a good idea to take a vacation for our anniversary.”

“ _Myōjō_ is just the place for that,” the bartender is unphased by her jab, “A lot of rich people and government officials spend nights there. It’s supposed to be a luxury hotel.”

Minato narrows his eyes at that and the bartender freezes at the intensity, “Is it popular?”

“Uh, yes,” she answers uneasily, “There’s an event going on this week so everyone is booking rooms.”

Sakura notices the edge and pulls on Minato’s arm, “Thank you for the drink.”

.

“You’re _terrible_ at flirting,” Sakura scoffs, drops his arm and nearly swallows her tongue when he tangles his fingers with hers.

“I would’ve done better,” he snorts, fingers dragging over the line of her knuckles, “But I saw the way she looked at you. She wouldn’t have touched me with a ten foot pole.”

She laughs, “She can like women too,”

Minato pulls her closer to him, in the center of the street and the sun sets behind them. Gold peonies and aquamarines, he asserts, “I look at you the same way.”

.

“Can you hear me, guys?” Obito speaks into his earpiece. He takes a vantage point from a nearby tree branch, one that overlooks the open windows of the banquet.

“Clear,” Rin says.

“You’re loud,” Kakashi confirms.

“Perfect, Obito,” Sakura chimes in.

“Coordinates?” Minato asks.

“Forty-seven degrees north, ninety degrees west and a two-minute range,” Obito reports, “I have a clear vision. There are five chakra signatures on the third floor,” he pauses, “One is very familiar.”

“ _How_ familiar?” he says.

It doesn’t come as a surprise when no one answers.

.

Sakura and Minato are the only two undercover. They trust their students to take care of any suspecting nins and counter interference. Unfortunately, due to their rapid advancement in the ranks, they do not have as much field experience and undercover skills as they _should_ at that rank.

That’s what war does.

“I really do like this dress,” Minato comments absently, fingers running down her shoulder bone and hooking across the expanse of her hip.

“Gross, sensei,” Kakashi gags into his mic.

Sakura laughs at the flush that burns his ears.

Rin giggles.

.

They’re exploring the hallways, fingers brushing over portraits, and testing the durability of vases. “This place looks expensive,” she muses, “Not really evil.”

“Money is the root of all evil,” Obito’s voice is solemn in her ear.

“Speaking from experience, Obito?” Minato teases his student.

“He blew out a whole week’s pay on spray paint,” Rin explains.

“Rin!”

.

“Incoming, two o’clock, three chakra signatures, and one civilian,” Obito warns them.

Minato glances at the corner of the hallway looks for a crook in the walls—she beats him to it. She shoves him into a nearby junction and kisses him.

She kisses and kisses him. Fingers digging into his scalp, feet resting in the space of his thighs, his hands tracing the bumps of her spine, tongue gliding over her teeth and—

“—fine. She’s with the rest of them, that governor should’ve kept a better eye on his girl,” there’s a sniff, “Bring in the next batch tomorrow morning.”

“Yes, Orochimaru-sama,”

Minato stiffens and Sakura pulls back.

“D—Did he just say Orochimaru?” Kakashi whispers.

She inhales into his neck, rests her head against his chest, and groans out a swear, “I did _not_ see this coming.”

.


	5. time blew me by

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is just PORN. So. You've been warned lol.

“What the _hell_ —” Kakashi hisses, cringes backward and knocks into Rin’s shoulders.

Obito opens a window and vomits.

Something, there is something _god-like_ , severe in the way that Minato expresses his anger. His chakra hums, settles in the cracks of the mountains and burns brighter than the sun itself. Sakura saw it the first time – the second time actually – she’s met him. The difference between a man and a shinobi.

There are bodies.

Dozens of them.

The laboratory holds perhaps, three hundred different types of chemicals. Tables upon tables, refrigeration techniques, and beds with straps.

“These are children,” Rin whispers, the corpses take an unhealthy sheen of green, some grayer than others and there’s one with blue, “That’s cyanide.”

They find Orochimaru’s lab—

Minato’s fist clenches as he counts.

—and his experiments.

.

“Don’t touch anything,” Sakura warns them, she takes a piece of cloth from her bag and tucks it in her belt, “Even if these are corpses, some pathogens don’t die for weeks.”

“What do you need me to do, Sakura-sensei?” Rin’s expression is grim, but there is determination in her eyes.

“Here,” she hands her a cloth, “Remember when we went over poisons and bone fractures? Make a list of what has been used. Report on the bone fragments.”

“Got it,” she nods and ties the cloth over her mouth.

Minato watches as Sakura prods the corpse with chakra. He kneels next to her as she examines the body – it’s a little boy – and swipes over its ribs, “What will the bone fragments tell you?”

“Everything,” she breathes, “Hopefully. Maybe if I had some samples, along with some empty scrolls, I could figure out what he was looking for.”

“Just by taking in samples?”

“I know that Orochimaru’s ultimate goal was immortality,” Sakura reveals and winces at the marks on a foot, “I just don’t know what the factors would be?”

Minato’s voice is tight when he sees the burn marks, “Factors?”

“What he’s testing against,”

“Sakura-sensei!” Rin gasps and she falls back in surprise. Minato is next to her in a moment and she starts to move, “She’s alive!”

.

“Anko,” Sakura breathes out, her fingers drift to her pulse, chakra thrumming across her chest and nearly flinches when she sees the curse mark, “Oh, Anko.”

“Is that a seal?” Obito’s sharingan spins lazily, “It’s full of chakra. Unstable.”

“It’s the cursed mark,” Sakura hisses, “We need to get her to—”

Anko groans and then she opens her eyes confusedly, “Orochimaru-sama?”

.

Minato is the one who tells the government official that his daughter has been dead for over a week. There is a heaviness in his shoulders, it settles beneath the muscles over his bones and wraps him in a blanket that is too thick to shake off. It is his responsibility, he believes and so the punishment should fall to him.

There are tears, screams, and agony.

Sakura can see as Minato takes on the pain, the loss, the grief, and the hate as his own. He wraps it in a silk ribbon and buries it inside himself until it melts into the bones that hold up his body; the principles that give his posture and the morals that force him to continue.

When it’s night, Minato crawls into Sakura’s bed, buries his head into her chest and she holds him tight when she feels him cry.

.

“Kakashi, you have to take out the scales before you _cook_ the fish,” Obito is the one who scolds him, showing him the proper way to clean and debone a fish.

Rin sits next to Anko and gossips about her teammates, while Kakashi scowls and growls.

“She’s taking it well,” Minato sits with his back against the tree, Sakura sitting in between the v of his legs and eating a box of riceballs she purchased earlier.

“Anko is one of the strongest women I’ve ever met,” she offers, lifts a riceball to his mouth and he eats silently, “She’s a little unhinged – I don’t blame her really – but she’s a good person.”

Minato is warm and safe, she leans deeper into the cavity of his chest and listens to her students fight, “She’s going to be fine,” she promises, “She’s just going to need a little help.”

Kakashi offers a stick of fish to Anko first.

“You have _got_ to be joking,” Sakura’s eyes widen at the display.

Anko thanks him.

And Kakashi flushes.

“I think Kakashi has got a good handle on it,” Minato laughs into her ear, blonde hair brushing the sides of her shoulder, and his hands squeeze her waist gently.

.

When they sleep, it’s one sleeping bag. She doesn’t know when that happens. The ease of sharing spaces, the contentment that comes with tangled limbs, and sleepy smiles. She can’t tell. She likes that she doesn’t have to think about it. This. Whatever this is. The safety, the protection, and the comfort of it all, she doesn’t know where it comes from.

But what she does know, is that Minato is free with his affections, his smiles, his adoration. 

She knows this when he pulls her into the sleeping bag – genjutsu layers in webs across the canopies and even though this is neutral ground, they are shinobi of war and they take precaution – and covers her with the blanket. She knows this when he removes her headband, fingers stroking her scalp, down to the edges of its cut, and untangle the knots. She knows this when he pulls her closer, until their feet tangle.

And she feels it when he eases the tension at the base of her neck, not caring who sees, who watches.

Because he gives her the affection that she craves but isn’t strong enough to ask for.

.

“Hey,” Sakura turns to face him, head resting on the ground. She looks at him, his elbow digging into the low pillow, hand underneath his chin as he looks at her, fingers still stroking the back of her neck, her voice is softer when she asks, “How are you doing?”

Minato’s fingers pause.

His eyebrows furrow, blue eyes take on the edge of the storm, electric and solemn. She rests her chin on his clavicle and peers up, “Minato?”

“Better,” his voice is rough and then his fingers squeeze the back of her nape, “I just needed—”

“Yeah,” Sakura understands, and her hand cups his cheek, “I know.”

Minato is still heartbroken, the loss of innocence always, it always burns something in his chest. Like a poison, settling in his chest cavity, choking and searing through the muscle and tendon, “They were _children._ ”

“I know,” she whispers, it doesn’t make it better, but she’s there.

Sakura presses a kiss to his chest.

.

Ten minutes later:

“Ugh, if you’re going to kiss Minato-sensei, do it where we can’t see or _hear,_ Sakura-sensei,” Kakashi groans and twists in his bedroll.

A laugh bubbles up in her chest, she flips over until her back is flat against Minato’s chest, “Are you jealous, Kakashi? I know you have issues, but I never knew you had a sensei complex.”

Minato’s chest vibrates from behind her.

Kakashi sputters.

Anko whispers to Rin in their bedroll, “Are they always like that?”

“Kakashi?” she giggles, “He’s a little whiny.”

“You’re such a baby, Kakashi!” Obito laughs.

“Shut it, dobe!”

Minato shoves a thigh in between her legs, wiggles a hand up her shirt until his forearm rests in between her breasts and a hand splayed across the rhythmic thumping of her heart. He pulls the cover over her shoulders and—

“Careful,” Sakura hisses and bites her tongue when she feels a nip at her spine, “Or you’ll give them a free show.”

It’s the arm that nestles closer to her heart, that pulls her flush against him, and his thigh sinks deeper in between her legs. Minato exhales a promise into her ear, “Never.”

.

The Third Hokage ages before their very eyes as Minato’s team give their report. He looks at Anko and then at Sakura.

“Give her a full physical, I need to speak to the elders.”

Minato grimaces.

.

“How is she?” Minato asks her once she reaches her office and locks the door. He was waiting for her, sitting on her desk, ankle over his knee and she must _really_ be high strung to think that he looks sexy.

He tilts his head, messy blond hair curling underneath his jaw, eyes bluer than the sea.

_No, he’s just really sexy._

The man is _impossible._

“She’s fine, most of her wounds were healed,” Sakura updates him, she files her paperwork into a cabinet and turns around, “It’s just that cursed seal; it’s permanent.”

Minato sucks in the air between his teeth, it fizzes, stinging with electricity and there’s fury knitting into every cell. She walks towards him, ankle falling from his knee, she stands in between his legs and looks at him, “Talk to me.”

“I should’ve seen this before,” he admits, jaw hard underneath her nose, his hands squeeze her hips, “I _did_ see it before, but I didn’t do anything about it. I didn’t want to be right.”

“No one wants to be right about these things,” Sakura says.

“It doesn’t matter—I can’t believe I _missed_ this,” Minato scowls at himself.

She can hear the bones in his jaw crack.

Sakura snakes her hands up his chest and wraps a palm at the nape of his neck. Her fingers press against the tense cord of muscles there, he groans at the pressure and her breath deepens, “Don’t beat yourself over this, you didn’t know.”

“But you did,” Ocean falls into the earth.

“Not like this,” she admits, “I knew about Orochimaru, but not like this.”

“And Danzo?”

“I know lots of things Minato,” Sakura tells him seriously, “Bad things. Good things. Wonderful things. And things that are just pure evil. I can’t stop everything, but I can try.”

“How are you even real?” Minato mumbles more to himself than to her, fingers digging into her spine, he sighs impatiently, roughly, restlessly, “I just can’t stop _thinking_ about my mistakes—”

Sakura swallows his words, a fingernail scraping a stinging line up the back of his neck to the crown of his head, Minato groans into her mouth, back arching at the sting, palms flat against her spine and his teeth nip at the corner of her lips. She pulls back to taste the hardness of his jaw, chuckles when he chases her lips, and grazes down the length of his jawline.

“Sakura,” Minato wraps her name around his mouth like sugar, sticky and sweet. When her mouth finds his pulse, she sucks hard, biting on the artery and hums when his hands ease into her spine, “Leaving marks?”

“You like it,” she whispers into his collarbone, her nails rake down his chest, brushing over his abdomen, hand sliding up his stomach, finger tracing the outie of his navel and strokes the bronze trail of hairs down to the edge of Mars.

Sakura cups him through the black of his shinobi pants, thumb sliding over the throbbing appendage, she slips inside and grasps him with a gentle hand.

Minato drops his head back, the hard cord of his tendons jump against his neck and he groans, “Sakura—”

“Shh,” she murmurs, runs a thumb over the tip, and gives him a squeeze.

She drops to her knees.

And the air in his lungs escapes.

.

Sakura’s mouth works over him slowly, she runs her tongue over the mushroom head, dipping into the slit lightly before tracing the ridges and then slides down. Minato gasps, it rings heavy in the air and his fingers tighten in her hair. She trails her tongue down the length, tickling the pulsing veins, and then she sucks, suddenly, strongly.

“ _Sakura_ ,” Minato grunts throatily, he tenses, neck bare and eyes shimmering.

She releases him to taste the fluid dotting down the tip, it’s the silver trail of saliva hanging from him his cock to her lips that has him shuddering. The visual stimulation, coupled with her palm on his balls, causes his stomach to tighten and his ears grow fuzzy.

“Fuck, fuck— _fuck!_ ” he’s groaning and panting, heat rushing, blood singing—

—and if she knew Minato swearing would he doing _things_ to her, she would’ve dropped to her knees sooner. 

She takes him down her throat, his hips jerk and—

“—Sakura-sama! It’s Jiraiya-sama, he has a broken arm, lacerations—”

—she pulls back with a jolt.

“ _Sakura_ ,” he growls and his hips jerk in her hands, “Don’t even _think_ about it.”

“I have to go!” she squeals when he makes a move to grab her.

“It’s shishou! He’s _fine—”_

“Minato—”

He places her palm on him, almost _whines_ at the gentle pressure, the desperation and frustration leaks into his voice, “You _cannot_ leave me like this—”

Sakura tucks him back in his pants and presses a faint kiss to his lips “I’m _sorry,_ I have to go!”

Minato growls in irritation and promises her darkly against his lips, “You will _pay_ for this, Sakura.”

She doesn’t leave fast enough, her giggle echoes in the vacant room.

.

Jiraiya’s injuries are laughable, a broken arm, cuts, and a concussion. Apparently he was spying on the women’s hot springs. Sakura doesn’t give him morphine, just a general anesthetic, and painkillers.

“Tsunade-hime raised herself a fine doppelganger.”

She puts salt in his tea.

.

The moment Minato takes her hand and uses the Hiraishin to teleport back to her place, she knows she’s in trouble.

But he gives her a smile, warm and buttery. He grabs a basket, packs a few kits that he left on the countertop earlier that day, and a couple of bento boxes he placed in the refrigerator later that nice. Then he tells her, “I packed us a picnic.”

Minato says it with as much innocence Obito gives when he pretends that he did not prank Gai with smoke bombs instead of a bowl of riceballs.

Sakura feels it.

It, being the calm before the storm.

So she smiles suspiciously, “Where did you want to go?”

Minato’s eyes take on the color of a storm; powerful and intense in its wake.

Sakura knows she’s entered a trap without even hearing it snap shut.

.

At high noon, Minato takes her to a spot near the Hokage’s Mountain. It’s a small clearing, with a river – she didn’t even know there was a river on top the mountain – a weeping willow sitting on the left of the stream, roses vining along with the shrubs of the river edge and the sun forms a halo along with the heavy greenery.

The sun is halo, a spotlight in the center of the clearing.

“We have a _river_ in the mountain?” Sakura voices her incredulity.

“It’s really more of a stream,” he replies casually and he gently places the picnic basket next to the roots of the willow.

She calculates the depth and power of the river—stream. She wonders, “I bet if I stepped in it, it would reach my thighs.”

“We can test out that theory later,” Minato offers her with a gentle smile.

Sakura blinks and shifts to a defensive stance on instinct, “What do you mean _later_?”

She watches in wonder, as his eyes glint with the silver of a kunai and settle into the backdrops of the ocean.

And Minato _pounces._

.

They struggle.

 _Of course,_ they struggle, because it’s Minato and Sakura, and they are, so both equally stubborn that it depends on the time of day and how much energy Sakura has to determine who would win in whatever argument they had brewing.

But Minato has planned and _planned_ for this day. He knows what angle, what degree, and shade of sunlight he wants to bathe her in. He knows what temperature he wants to taste her in – first – and he knows what speed of wind he wants to tangle in her.

“I told you I would get you later,” Minato breathes harshly against her cheek, she’s flat against the ground, fingers interlocked and hips pressed intimately against each other.

“This was an ambush,” Sakura exhales against his forehead when she settles beneath him in mute defeat.

Minato’s hair is blinding underneath the sun, he teases against her jawline, “Ninja.”

The laugh that bubbles up inside her is swallowed by the silk of his mouth.

.

Minato moves like water. He is fluid and adaptable when he kisses her. He takes his time figuring out what she likes, lips pulling her bottom lip in between his teeth and sucks. His hands are tight, thumb running over the line of her knuckles as he holds her hand above her head. The grass is soft and pliable beneath her back, she cannot help but move with him.

Sakura angles her head when he slips his tongue in and curls it against her cheek. She sighs into him when he runs the dexterous muscle down the roof her mouth and then he pulls back before she can chase. He brings her hands together, above her head, thrusting her chest into his, and then he whispers something that sounds like, “ _Bind.”_

And she freezes when she realizes that she can’t move her hands.

Minato’s lips curl into something that could resemble a smirk, yet, the traces of playfulness never leave the crease in his brows.

.

“Minato,” Sakura says with a hint of nervousness, her hands wiggle above her head, and she glances upwards to see two seals printed at the jut of her wrist.

Minato soothes her with gentle kisses against her cheek, chaste even, as they follow on her eyelids, near her ears and the tip of her nose. “If you don’t like anything I do, just say _Jiraiya._ ”

She pulls back – as much as she can anyway – to gape at him, “What—?”

“Nothing kills a hard-on more than your shishou, Sakura,” he shrugs and smiles bashfully, but then it disappears when he presses himself into her and says, “But I think you’ll like this—us.”

.

Sakura’s head spins, his teeth leave marks on the sensitive skin of her throat, taking advantage of her rapidly throbbing pulse, he likes to feel her blood race when he dips his tongue into the hollow near her clavicle, cataloging her gasp as he burns her alive.

Minato slips a finger down her kimono, pulling at the v between her breasts, the obi loosening as the satin parts like tides, rippling down her ribs and her bindings – thin as they may be – are almost translucent underneath the sun.

He pulls off her top gently, slipping off her shorts – he leaves her boots on and Sakura makes a _note_ of this – and then presses his lips to the sensitive skin of her elbow. She gasps when he nips sharply, hips jerking to the side when she feels the sting deep in her belly. Tongue running down her arm, past her shoulder blade down to her cleavage, she huffs when he presses light nips to the swell of each mound and swallows when his eyes catch hers.

“You belong like this, you know,” Minato tells her and slices her bindings off with a low-level wind jutsu. His eyes roam her figure, not knowing where to look first, he pulls his lower lip into his mouth and bites down— _alchemy_.

“Like what?” Sakura gasps when he traces a pointer finger down her sternum and dips into her navel. Goosebumps sprout flowers over her skin, spiraling down her bare breasts and tips of her thighs.

He moves back, settling his hips in between her thighs, resting on his knees and his fingers trace the protruding bone of her hips. He places a kiss against her navel, holding her eyes as he hums, “Under the sun. Warm. Beautiful. Blinding. Radiant.”

Sunlight spills over her from the shadows of the leaves and Minato can hardly contain himself.

.

When Minato’s hands cup her breasts, when his thumbs feather ink and words onto the pebbles that only harden for him, she feels herself break out into a set of shivers. She is dazed when he keeps his pressure gentle, the pressure of his body heavy on her hips and legs, but he likes to look at her and it’s _too much._

Then his twisting her nipples, so roughly, so sweetly that she yelps sharply and jerks her hips into his violently, “ _Fuck!”_

He sucks a violet on her left breast and plucks at her nipples until they are red and chafed. Sakura is sure she has visibly soaked her underwear, her sex aches and each twist of his fingers has her twitching.

So when he swallows her nipple, she’s sure her brain short-circuits.

.

Never has anyone _ever,_ touched her so thoroughly before. Minato soothes the pink tips with his tongue, the wet velvet of his mouth skirts the edge of discomfort with his teeth. Sakura blinks slowly when he pulls away from each nipple with a soft plop. Her nails are digging into the dirt and she breathes hard when he runs a thumb over the abused pods with gentle whispers.

“Tease,” she hisses at him with exasperation, lifting her hips up to grind against the seam of his pants.

Minato laughs into her stomach, kisses burning each side of her ribs and he says, “Not really.”

She’s going to kill him; she _swears_ to every God there is.

.

When Minato reaches her thighs, he runs his hands in the junction where her pelvis meets her leg and swims in the hollow. His hand rests over her pelvis, fingers tapping against the bone and she has to fight her instinct to twitch.

Soaked with sweat, she bites the inside of her cheek trying to contain the pathetic whine that wants to seep out of her teeth, and she arches her back when he pulls off her underwear. Her thighs are slippery, the small strip of hair glistens like ginger underneath the sun and she wants to be embarrassed by how _wet_ she is, but she _can’t_ because she is so desperate for him that she can only spread her legs and _wait._

Minato’s eyes take on a blue that could rival sapphire, burning and blistering as he takes her thighs and tucks it over his. Spidery fingers trail over her inner thighs and he murmurs with a certain amount of darkness that makes her stomach tremble, “You’re dripping.”

“That’s because you’re moving too slow!” Sakura hisses in frustration, there’s a red flush that titters on her cheeks from the sun – or maybe it’s him, he’s a bit distracted – and the muscles in her legs contract with desperation.

Minato doesn’t answer, instead, he swipes a finger closest to her fold, picks up the crystal liquid, and puts it in his mouth all the while keeping his eyes locked on her.

Sakura, this time, leans back and _whines._

.

She doesn’t know when – having lost all sense of time with him – but he yanks off her boots and settles on his stomach. He grabs each of her thighs, tosses each leg over his shoulders – shoulders that are broad as the fucking _sky_ – and bites into the flesh of her hamstring.

She is going _to combust_ ; there is only so much _teasing_ that she can take and if Minato doesn’t do _something,_ she will—

—Minato’s tongue is slow and glorious on her sex, and her brain halts all cognitive thought.

.

Minato eases into her with the deftness of a gentle wave. His thumbs pull her folds apart – she feels horribly exposed when he just breathes against her – and he traces the seam with the tip of his tongue. She inhales harshly, soft moans escaping her as he dips inside for a brief moment, and then goes back to caressing her labia.

Her thighs squeeze the sides of his face when he tickles her clit in a wicked lick, the tip just catching underneath the hood and she arches back shamelessly. As much as Minato adores her thighs, he needs his face, so his hands smoothen up the back of her thighs, catches the back of knees, and presses her back until her knees are parallel with her ribs.

Minato knows that she can break free from his hands with her chakra – without chakra too – but she won’t, not because his seal will keep her hands in place, but because she _wants_ him.

.

Minato is unpredictable in his movements. He is slow and methodical, shinobi till the very end, she thinks exasperatedly. His lips pull at her lower lips, then he snakes his tongue inside her and curls.

When he feels her jerk, he’ll give her clit a quick lick, to placate her mostly, but he likes to feel the jump in her pulse – his thumb pressing on the femoral artery.

But then Minato latches onto her clit and sucks like a man possessed and Sakura doesn’t have the control to stop her scream.

.

Sakura writhes violently, her hips twitching and back arching. Minato’s mouth is both a blessing and a curse. It takes a moment of pure, unadulterated, single-minded attention to send her into an orgasm.

But the thing is, he _keeps_ going.

When he envelops her clit, she is relieved at the attention and overwhelmed at the experience. There’s a burning, itching—tingly feeling as he sucks. Sakura’s fingers dig into the dirt, nails embedded with soil, she thrashes on the grass as he picks her up and throws higher and higher.

Then he stops.

Minato thumbs her apart again and gives her kitten licks on the abused flesh.

.

Minato finally slips off his shirt and yanks off his pants. It gives Sakura a moment to collect herself, she breathes shakily and licks her lips. Then, he’s in her face, giving her a quick peck on the lips he exhales into her mouth, “I’m going to release your legs, will you behave?”

She doesn’t acknowledge until his thumb slips over her clit and she presses her mouth against his jaw, “Yes.”

He kisses her on the cheek, straightens her legs, fingers digging into the tense muscles, massaging the tissue, and then tosses one leg over his shoulder and tucks the knee of the other leg into his elbow. He keeps her still, keeps the licks on her clit light, and then sucks furiously after a moment.

Sakura is gasping, trembling as the knot in her stomach tightens and sinks deeper.

Minato slips a finger inside her, curling, searching, and thrusting. He moves inside her slowly, his teeth catching her clit in a gentle twist. She is gushing, shaking profusely as she soaks and he curls his finger—never once slowing.

“Minato _please_ ,” Sakura’s voice is raw and pleading, stomach tingling and cunt throbbing. She wants and wants and needs and _needs—_ him.

“You’re almost there,” he hushes her, one finger becomes three and he curls blunt digits. His thumb pulls back the hood of her clit and he licks her until she’s bucking away from him.

Sakura’s orgasms take her by surprise, she can’t tell when one stops, and the other begins. Then he pulls the seed and sucks at that too—his jaw is aching, but Sakura is soaking the grass and he doesn’t stop until she tells him to.

She realizes that, with the soil so slick, she slides away from him, her pelvis slipping from the angle of his mouth—Minato doesn’t have that though.

He grabs her hips, drags her back to his mouth, mouth still suckling, and wrist snapping.

But this last orgasm, it’s a full-body experience, because the world is shaking and she is weightless.

.

Sakura comes to a feeling of hands in her hair, fingers scraping the edges of her scalp, kneading the muscles in her neck, and a warm chest against the silk of her breasts. She blinks away the darkness, her hands pressed against his chest and her head resting on his arm.

He’s moved them, she realized.

She rests on a cotton comforter rather than a regular blanket. It’s softer, cooler, and is much gentler on her back, they lay under the weeping willow and she glances back at him almost shyly, “Hi.”

“Hi,” Minato grins and pecks her nose, “You’ve been out for about five minutes if you’re wondering.”

She isn’t.

“You unsealed my hands,” she notices curiously.

“I think you’re going to need them this time,” he rolls her underneath him and asks, “Can you go again?”

Sakura stares at him.

.

The thing with Minato is even when she feels like she’s exhausted, bone-weary, and tired—just his smile and the way he looks at her fills her with an energy she’s never known.

That and the numerous orgasms he’s given her has her feeling a bit tipsy, high-strung.

She nods slowly.

Minato smiles at her and then kisses her. It’s slower than the others but no less intense. It’s like burning wet wood, the slow crackle of the flame, embers sparking and the smoke thickening. She likes this one more. He tastes like her and something like cinnamon.

He parts her legs removes his underwear and his cock sits hot and heavy on her mound, the tip of it brushing the underside of her navel. It’s a prelude, she thinks, the deliberate movements and arrangements he composes is true to himself and his service to her.

“Lift your hips for me,” he whispers into her ear, when she does, his length slides off her mound leaving a sticky stream of pre-cum and rests in between the crease of her thigh and pelvis.

His thumb is sneaky when he flicks her clit, her entire body jerks, and the sparks of white electricity.

Minato mounts of himself onto her and slides home.

.

Minato stretches her out to the edge of pain—it’s the precept where pain bleeds into pleasure. Even when he moves, strong and steady, heavy and slow, he keeps her in his orbit with the blue of his eyes and a kiss on the neck.

She breathes shakily, his thrusts are deep, hard and she suddenly realizes why he spent so much time tormenting her poor pearl. She wraps her legs around his waist and kisses her after a particularly rough thrust; because each lunge of his hips grazes the swollen tissue into a gentle tease.

And when he flips her over, his scrotum slaps her clit and she is helpless to that jolt of lightning.

.

 _Fuck_ Minato and his stamina.

They take breaks in between of course because Sakura needs food and water to keep up with this man because it should be _illegal_ to have this amount of endurance and patience. It is _unheard_ of.

Because he thrusts inside of her with the precision of finely sharpened kunai, the angle is all strange, it hits her clit beautifully, but it keeps her on edge.

Desperation leaks in her whimpers and she has to bite the comforter to smother her babbling. Minato reprimands her with a sharp nip to her ear, hands squeezing her hips gently and he drives into her harder, “I want to hear you.”

“If you hear me, then people can hear me,” she inhales with a wail, her hips shifting when he grinds into her.

“I’ve placed a barrier, Sakura,” Minato laughs into her spine, “No one will _hear_ you and no one will _see_ you.”

If she hears the possessiveness and protectiveness in his voice, she doesn’t comment, what she does do, is flip him over and swivel her hips until he hisses.

Their bodies are slick with sweat and she warns him, “Remember, I have the control here.”

But when Sakura slides home, the tip of him slides grinds into her g-spot and she comes violently.

Minato, ever the observant, catches on to that factor, spins her until her back is flat against his chest, and takes advantage of that patch of nerves with excruciating detail.

.

Minato came at least four times now and the sun is setting. Sakura is going to be so exhausted and sore tomorrow, that she will have to put off murdering Minato until the following week.

Sakura’s legs are trembling, because he’s faster now, rougher and digging so deep inside of her, she fears she will never be able to remove him. She has lost count of her orgasms, each one blending into a different color when his thumb brushed over her clit, she clenches down on him and he spills inside of her with a strangled grunt.

“I’m going to fucking _die_ ,” she groans from beneath his chest, he slides her legs off of him and she whimpers, “I don’t think I can even move.”

“I think I threw out my back,” he grumbles and rolls off of her.

“No _one,_ absolutely _no one,_ told you to fuck my brains out,” Sakura’s mouth doesn’t have a filter now that her thought process has gone to mush.

He grins, “I’m going to remind you of that, later.”

Sakura doesn’t even have the energy to scowl at him.

.

Somehow, Minato finds the energy – Sakura is very vocal in her discomfort – to teleport them home.

And by home, he means Sakura’s home.

Minato is out like a light when his head hits the pillow.

.

After a very, _very_ long nap, Sakura makes her way to the bath, one which Minato drew for her and judging by the smell of – tempura?! – she’s in for a long night.

.

Sakura opens her dresser intent on picking out a nightgown now the nights have grown warmer. She sees a few pairs of Minato’s pants in her shinobi pants section, a few of his shirts, his pajamas—

—she stares at his things blankly for a few moments.

Then she looks around her room.

Minato’s jacket hangs on the hook of her bedroom door, his ugly frog wallet sits on her dresser, his gear on the floor of her closet, kunais scattered across the shelf and she’s pretty sure that’s his sandals she almost tripped over.

Sakura doesn’t know when her home became _their_ home.

.

“Sakura,” Minato’s voice is rough when he speaks to her, he inhales the mint of her nightgown and sighs deeply. He looks faintly dreamy-eyed – perhaps from the numerous orgasms he’s had in the last eight hours – when he tells her, “I assure you, that I am _only_ a man and do not have the _energy_ —”

“It’s hot!” she retorts irately, a flush and a scowl plasters itself over her face, “I’m not trying to seduce you!”

“You could be wearing one of Gai’s jumpsuits and I would _still_ think you’re trying to seduce me,” he points out and then laughs when she throws a carrot at him.

.

“Hokage-sama told me my parents disappeared, in this timeline,” Sakura tells him after dinner, they lay on the couch, an old movie playing on the tv that cost her an arm and a leg to get – because the technology here is so _slow_ – and his fingers dance on the peaks of her clothed nipples.

Minato freezes at that.

She shivers at his fingers, “I spoke to Katsuyu-sama earlier, she said that my parents have a son. My age. In the future,” she pauses and buries her head into his chest, “I think the timeline is changing.”

“Does it scare you?”

“A little,” Sakura admits, “She tells me that’s the first change she sees. I don’t know what that means for me. Kakashi-sensei is still looking and Tsunade-shishou informed the Tsunade of this time, about me.”

Minato presses a kiss to her head, “You still haven’t seen her, hm?”

“I’m just a little nervous,”

“Tsunade-sama _is_ a force to be reckoned with it,”

“You _know_ that’s _not_ what I meant,”

“But are you _sure?_ ”

Sakura twists his nipple and Minato yelps.

.

“Tell me about your family,” Sakura asks.

“I don’t really have one, my parents were civilians,” Minato says after a moment, “Bakers actually, they died during the Second War. I was very young. I lived with my aunt for a while until I started going to the academy. She died when I was fourteen.”

“You’ve been alone for a long time,” Sakura cups his cheek and her jade eyes soften.

“I have my friends, my students, my teachers,” he shrugs and presses a kiss to her open palm, “And now I have you, so I think I did pretty well.”

.

“So, you weren’t a virgin,”

“Are we _really_ having this conversation?”

“I’ll tell you mine if you tell me yours.”

“I already know who it was, it’s not much of a secret,”

Minato pouts, “You could at least _act_ surprised _._ ”

Sakura laughs.

.

“His name is Shi,” Sakura says suddenly, “He’s a medic from Kumo. I met him during the war. He hated Konoha shinobi, though we were always the cause of war and problems. He wasn’t exactly _wrong,_ but that doesn’t make it right. With the number of casualties we were facing and the healing we were doing—”

Minato kisses her sternum.

“It just happened. A moment of comfort,” she shrugs, “Sometimes we didn’t think we’d make it to the end, I think we wanted—well, _I_ wanted to feel something. I just wanted to know.”

“You don’t need to apologize for being human, Sakura,” he tells her, fingers brushing her hair, “What happened after?”

“We won,” Sakura confesses, “I went back to Konoha and he went to Kumo.”

“That’s it?”

“Some stories don’t live forever, Minato,”

Minato stares at her with starlight, “But the best ones do.”

.

“What did he look like?”

Sakura rolls her eyes, “ _Really?_ Is that what you’re going with?”

“I can tell you what Kushina looks like,”

“I _know_ what she looks like,”

He focuses on her, microscope scrutiny and silver shimmer, “And how do you know what she looks like?”

Sakura sighs to hide her gasp, “Tsume-chan.”

“Oh,”

“Idiot,”

He tickles her, “I still want to know,”

She shrieks and tries to squirm away, “Ugh! Fine! Just stop with the assault!”

Minato finds her ribs.

“ _MINATO!”_

.

“He was older than me; I think about five years older?” Sakura admits after a few minutes, “He was very attractive. Tall and muscular and had very nice hair. I think—”

Minato nips her ear in reprimand.

“—and, he had brown eyes. Very dark, almost black. He had blonde hair, sandy almost.”

“A blonde, Sakura,” he grins, into her neck, “You have a type.”

“If we’re going to talk about coloring, I would have to say no,” Sakura snorts, “He’s a mix, really.”

“A mix of who,”

“You and Sasuke,” she reveals.

Minato frowns, “Who is Sasuke,”

“Sasuke was my teammate,” and then she pauses, “And my first love.”

He stills underneath her.

.

“Do you want to hear about him?” Sakura asks gently, truthfully, she wants to tell him everything. Her life, her friends, her family—things she’s never told, anyone.

“Do you want to tell me about him?” he asks suddenly.

“I want to tell you things I’ve never told anyone,” she confesses into his ear like a secret.

Minato smiles into her throat, “I want to know everything about you.”

.

“He left you on a _bench?_ Where _anyone_ could attack you? _Alone_?”

“Shh, you’re ruining the story.”

“You confess your love to him, he knocks you out, leaves you on a bench, strolls out of the village on his merry little way and you’re _shushing_ me?”

Sakura glares.

.

“He tried to kill you?” Minato’s voice is somewhere between a shriek of outrage and a snarl, “More than _once?_ And Kakashi just welcomes him back into the _village_?”

“So you see, this is where Danzo comes in,” she sighs.

.

He is silent for a long moment, “I don’t agree with any of his choices,”

“I’m not asking you to,” Sakura snorts, “But in the end, somewhere along the way, I realized that loving Sasuke would’ve only destroyed me in the end, and I couldn’t live with myself knowing that. I probably will always love Sasuke, but not the way I used to. I think, he has hurt me enough times.”

Minato is adamant, furious, and overwhelming with emotion when he tells her, “He doesn’t deserve you. Doesn’t deserve your love, your devotion, your _faith_.”

Her fingers brush his cheek, “It was never about deserving love, Minato. It was about accepting it.”

He cannot believe someone as unselfish, as loving, as gentle as her exists.

Minato holds her close to her chest and thanks every single _deity_ there is _,_ for bringing her into his path.

He does not know what he has done to deserve this gift, but he will cherish it until the sun explodes and the moon shatters.

.

“Are you going to tell me why I found an Icha Icha book in your pants, Minato?”

“Go to sleep, Sakura.”

.


	6. can't take anymore

The day of Danzo’s execution comes with clear skies and sunshine. Sakura isn’t in the room when it happens, but Minato, the Hokage, and the Uchiha clan council are.

Danzo Shimura’s crimes are made known to the general public. Civilian and shinobi alike. The Third Hokage makes it a precedent. War crimes will not be tolerated or go unpunished, no matter the clan, or type of citizen; shinobi or civilian. It’s a thing, she thinks, that will be remembered because Obito is solemn and sad because of it.

“He had my grandfather’s eyes,” he told her later that day, in a bowl of ramen and grilled chicken.

Sakura pulls him into a hug and Minato runs his fingers through his hair.

.

“We should do something for Obito,” Rin crawls through the window and stumbles over the ledge. Her shishou lays on the couch, a medical journal in her hand and Minato-sensei is, _baking_?

“Do any of you know how to use a door?” Sakura raises a brow and closes her book, “I know I can use the hiraishin now, but I _still_ use the door.”

“But it’s more fun this way,” Kakashi appears from the ceiling window.

Minato walks out from the kitchen in her apron – it’s his apron now since he never seems to _leave_ it – wiping a plate with a dishtowel. He tilts his head and asks, “What’s this about Obito?”

“He’s been really sad since Danzo’s execution,” Rin explains, she takes a seat next to Sakura, “He was really close to his grandfather and Kakashi told me that he saw him _cleaning._ ”

Minato blinks and looks at Sakura in concern.

“The last time he had a full-on cleaning spree was when his father died,” Kakashi supplies, he dips a finger into the chocolate batter and dodges Minato’s whack.

“Well,” Sakura sighs and watches the chaos that is her kitchen, “This isn’t good.”

.

“Uh,” Obito stammers when he’s suddenly thrown over a shoulder. He was innocently walking down the village road, searching for a box of cookies when his sensei decides to kidnap him. “Minato-sensei, is there a reason, uh, that you’re carrying me.”

“It’s faster this way,” he tightens the grip on his knees.

“Faster to do wha— _whoa_!” Obito’s question crescendos into a yell when his sensei uses the hiraishin to flash through the village. His stomach lurches and he suddenly regrets eating that bowl of daifuku earlier that morning.

.

“Are we—we’re at the _beach?_ ” Obito exclaims in shock. He stares at the sea with wide eyes, his stomach settles when his sensei places him on his feet and the Uchiha slips off his shoes to feel the sand in between his toes in response.

“I figured you kids could use a small vacation from the village’s recent _excitement,_ ” Minato drawls out dryly, “Plus, it’s almost summer. Sakura brought a few baskets full of food, Rin brought some games and blankets, and Kakashi brought your things,” he ruffles his dark hair, “We’re off today, Obito. Have fun.”

.

“Kakashi, don’t you _dare,_ ” Sakura hisses when she recognizes those hand signs, she _just_ finished rubbing sunblock on her shoulders and Minato took his _sweet_ time massaging the rest onto her back.

“But I’ve been practicing!”

“I don’t _care_ ,” she scowls and crosses her arms, “This is the _nice_ area of the beach, there is no one here, _and_ it’s clean!”

“Let them play, Sakura,” Minato sighs distractedly and his fingers trace the edge of the tie of her bikini on her back, “It’s better to let them get it out of their system.”

Sakura shoots him a glare and he freezes, “ _What_ was that?”

Minato chuckles nervously, takes a step back, and scratches the back of his head, “Nothing! Kakashi no practicing jutsu at the beach.”

Kakashi scowls and mumbles, “ _Whipped_.”

.

“Is that a cake?” Rin asks with disbelief. She had opened one of the baskets to find a very lopsided, but decadent chocolate cake sitting on top of the cutlery.

“Minato was baking earlier, remember?” Sakura peeks up from her book. Stomach flat on her towel, a bottle of water in front of her, and her legs swing back and forth, she is the epitome of relaxed.

“You can bake, sensei?” Rin’s jaw drops and then pouts, “Why haven’t you made anything for us?”

Minato has the audacity to shrug, “You never asked.”

.

“I feel so lazy,” Sakura rolls over onto her back, subtly adjusts the strings of her bikini, and stretches her hands above her head.

Minato pulls down his sunglasses and stares at the lines of her stomach. He bites the inside of his cheek, and exhales, “Are you _trying_ to say something?”

“It’s not my fault you don’t have any self-control,” she snorts, twists until she’s on her side, the curve of her spine a taunt and a tease.

“I _don’t_ have any self-control?” he repeats in disbelief.

“I’d cover my pants if I were you,”

Kakashi, who was pretending to sleep underneath the umbrella bursts into uncontrollable laughter.

.

“You _little_ —!” Sakura shrieks when she’s tossed into the ocean, Minato right behind her, and Obito takes a picture with the portable camera.

“They’re pretty cute, aren’t they?” Rin points out to Kakashi.

“The word is _disgusting,_ Rin,”

Obito chimes in, “They’re pretty great. Minato-sensei looks happy.”

“It’s been a long month,” Rin sighs and throws herself back onto the towel.

“ _Suiton—”_

“I thought you said no jutsu!” Kakashi yells in outrage.

.

“Attack, Pakkun!” Kakashi demands as Obito leans on his sandcastle.

“But why? He scratches my furry paws,” Pakkun lifts up a hand so the Uchiha can pet, “See.”

Rin laughs uncontrollably as Pakkun purrs into Obito and Kakashi gasps dramatically.

_“Traitor.”_

“For back rubs? Any time, kid.”

.

“Barbeque?”

“It’s easier to cook,” Sakura explains, she has one platter of vegetables, one platter of meat and oddly packaged anpan. There are bottles of water, juice, and sparkling cider in the cooler. Rin sits on the top with her legs crossed holding a bottle of water and a towel in her hair.

Minato asks, “If you would start the fire with your katon, Obito, we can start dinner.”

Obito grins.

.

“Are those starlight?!”

“Hikari-chan gave me a few packs. I figured you guys can make some memories,” Sakura says.

Obito smiles and lights a stick, “You can make some too, Sakura-sensei.”

Minato rests his chin on top of her head, “I think this will go in our photo album.”

.

“He looks happier,” Sakura comments as Obito and Rin skip down the village road, Kakashi walking a few steps behind them.

“He is,” Minato affirms, there is salt and seaweed in his hair, cornflower, and sunbeam twists, but he somehow manages to look beautiful all the same.

“I’m glad we did this,” she hums and leans against his shoulder, “Those kids deserve all the happiness in the world.”

“I thought it was about accepting,” he teases.

“There are exceptions to every rule, Minato.”

“You have an answer to everything, don’t you?” Minato laughs.

“Of course,” she beams, “Our kids are the best!”

He leans down and kisses her.

.

Sakura skips training that day, wraps herself in a blanket, rolls around on her couch, and stares at her old movies. Her period comes that day, cramps from hell and a headache that beats to the sound of her chest. On one hand, it’s just: well, she’s not pregnant and on the other: it’s a punishment. She doesn’t tell Minato why she hasn’t gone to the field and she doesn’t inform him of her whereabouts.

She goes to sleep.

When she wakes up, there’s a hot bottle of water on her stomach, a bag of chocolate, and some painkillers with a note sitting on her coffee table.

_Sakura,_

_I’m shadowing the Hokage today. I left you a bag of treats and some medicine. Rin informed me that you need to stay hydrated and warm. Dinner is on the table. I’ll be home soon._

_Yours,_

_Minato_

.

“Why haven’t I been to your place yet?” Sakura asks suddenly, she looks up from her patient record and tilts her head, “You always come over, so why haven’t I been to yours?”

They’re in her office, he comes there for lunch when she has a shift. He brings her a bento box, sometimes they go out to eat with the kids, but he prefers to cook and feed her. She seems to appreciate his well-thought out balanced meal preps, that, and he always brings her a stick of dango.

Minato pauses mid-bite of his yakisoba, then he blinks almost shocked at the question. He thinks about it for a moment, “It’s just an apartment. Most of my things are at your place anyway.”

She stares at him.

_He’s not—_

—Minato is as subtle as a _meteor_ when it comes to the opposite sex.

Sometimes, she wonders, if this was the _same man_ who bound her hands and had his way with her in the middle of the forest, where no one but the Gods – the very same Gods that _threw_ in this time period – could see. If this was the _same man_ who took out _Madara Uchiha_. The _same man_ who claimed to be the _Yellow Flash._ The very _same man_ who nearly ripped out her shoulder blade when they sparred.

“Well, why don’t you just move in then,” Sakura says exasperatedly, she scribbles signature on a document and files it.

“Are you asking me to move in with you?” his blue eyes _twinkle_ and—

—Sakura isn’t sure if he’s the idiot, or if _she’s_ the idiot, for falling for something like that.

Instead of offering him a verbal reply, she throws her shoe at him and hopes that her abuse says it all.

Minato laughs and _laughs._

_Jackass._

.

“So, you’re my _apprentice_ ,” Tsunade narrows her eyes and takes her in.

Sakura is going to _kill_ Minato.

She told him that she would face Tsunade on her own time, and if that time never came—then, oh, _fucking_ well.

She swallows and greets her, “Tsunade-shishou,”

Amber eyes focus on her Yin seal and she gives a sharp nod. Taking a seat roughly on the couch of the hospital lobby, she says, “You know, when Katsuyu-sama told me what was going on I was confused. She came from the future and I had my Katsuyu-sama talk to her to confirm. Then my future self gave me a scroll with all the details.”

Sakura waits.

“Then Jiraiya – the pervert – also confirmed the works. But seeing as you have my Yin seal,” she says, “You _have_ to be my student. There’s no question about it. My future self also says you’ve surpassed me, is this true?”

Sakura almost stammers, but then she remembers. She remembers the countless lessons, training sessions, study lessons, and medical rotations. She remembers her determination, her ambition, her focus, and her resolve. Tsunade-shishou had sharpened the emotions and the will inside her, like the edge of a kunai, and molded her to be _this._

Tsunade watches as Sakura straightens her shoulders, steels her gaze and says, “I am your apprentice. Only you have the power to scrutinize and gauge my skills.”

“A diplomatic answer,” she nods her head thoughtfully.

Tsunade stands up suddenly and pulls her into a hug.

Sakura stiffens in shock.

“Katsuyu-sama and my older-self also said to give you a hug. I don’t give these for free,” she whispers in her ear, “So _accept_ it you brat.”

And Sakura _wilts._

“I’ve missed you, shishou,” she lets a few tears escape and wraps her arms around her.

Tsunade hugs her tighter.

Minato watches from the hallway, a small smile curling against his lips.

.

Sakura appears with Rin, her grin – slightly maniacal but blooming with pride – plasters on her face. They walk in arm and arm together, it makes _Kakashi_ nervous, which in turn scares Obito _shitless._

Minato smiles at them uncertainly.

Sakura presses a kiss underneath his jaw and beams, “Rin performed her first _official_ surgery today!”

He blinks at her in shock and then turns to his student with a smile, “That’s great Rin-chan! You did well.”

Rin grins, “Thanks, Minato-sensei!”

“It was a poison extraction, the same one I did on our first mission, remember?” she relays to him and gives him the run down, “It was located in the lungs rather than the liver—”

“—so I asked shishou if we can try using a different procedure while funneling the patient's chakra into another pathway so it won’t cause much damage,” Rin finishes for her.

“She did so well, Minato. You should’ve _seen_ her!” Sakura practically vibrates with excitement and it’s practically impossible to not get infected by her glee.

“That’s awesome, Rin-chan!” Obito exclaims.

“And she aced her first strength assignment!”

There’s a pause.

Minato looks at her warily, “What strength assignment?”

Rin unseals her new weapon, there is smoke and then an _ax._ The ax is the height of Minato and the blade twice the size of her. She rests the weapon against her shoulder and says, “I’d like you to meet Hanabi!”

“ _Oh my fucking God,”_ Kakashi whispers to Obito in horror. 

Rin demonstrates Hanabi’s power by slamming the ax onto the ground, the earth splinters beneath their feet, fissure, and fissures of uprooted trees crumble beneath them, and—

—Obito whimpers into Kakashi’s shoulder.

Minato laughs uneasily.

.

“—SHE’S GOT TO LOVE NOBODY,” Sakura yells into her wooden spoon, she slides on her kitchen floor with nothing but socks and one of Minato’s shirts that fit her like a dress.

“BABY STAY WITH ME,” Rin sings into a spatula, she spins around in matching blue, kunai-print pajamas.

Kakashi and Obito walk into the kitchen with bags of groceries, they freeze at the women in the room.

Then Obito drops the bag on the table and grabs a whisk, “CHECK THIS HAND CAUSE’ I’M MARVELOUS.”

Rin and Sakura giggle and then cackle when Kakashi slides in with his socks and trips over Obito’s feet.

Minato appears from – nowhere really – and turns the volume up on the radio. He grabs Sakura’s waist and sings – his voice cracks and she wants to _die_ – into her spoon.

He _is_ a terrible singer.

.

Later, when it’s dusk when the stillness of the night settles into midnight and the moon is nothing but a spotlight on the shock of sunset in the kitchen. When the kids are sleeping on the sofa, blankets tangled in between their legs and pillows scattered all over the room.

Minato sets the volume on the radio low until the vibrations are a soft purr, and then he pulls Sakura into the kitchen.

He whispers, “Will you sing for me?”

Sakura hums a tune, one full of nostalgia and warmth.

Minato slow-dances with her in the kitchen, his head buries in the crook of her neck and she presses her lips to his cheek.

Kakashi peeks up from the sofa, eyes crinkling at the edges.

_A love old as time._

And a star slams against the earth.

.

Orochimaru attacks without warning.

There is smoke, a snake, and an army of Sound nin that attack the gates. Sakura had Anko situated with an ANBU guard squad at _all_ times since she’s been in the village – she knows Kakashi visits her, the Third is _very_ skeptical about that – but now she’s under lock and key until this mess is over.

“Kakashi, you take point with Obito and Rin,” Minato orders him, “You’re a Jounin now. Lead. Watch each other’s backs.”

Sakura nods and bites her lip before she says, “Remember, try not to get cut and keep your distance. Most of these nin work with poison and use jutsu to attack the nervous system. Stay safe.”

Kakashi nods and Obito shoots her a thumbs up.

“Watch those idiots, Rin,” she narrows her eyes and says, “Tsunade-sama is leading the medical corp, checkpoint is at the hospital.”

Rin almost smiles but there’s a shot of fire that cuts it off before it forms.

.

“They’re going to be fine, right?” Minato asks suddenly, he zips through the village with her, flashes of sunset and gold.

Sakura thinks it’s frightening for Minato to need _reassurance_ because this is Minato, the Fourth Hokage, who is like lightning itself; dangerous and uncontainable. Who, to the people she grew up with, believed was a _myth._

“They will be fine,” she tells him, even if it’s a lie at that moment, but she will move heaven and earth before something— _anything_ happens to their kids.

_Their kids._

.

“Minato,” Sakura calls out, “Jump.”

She doesn’t hesitate.

Sakura slams her fist into the ground, the earth cracks beneath her fingertips and scatters the nin across the forest. She flashes with Minato, elbow digging into a nin, tossing him into a cluster of more nin. Minato is behind her, slamming a kunai into a shoulder, kicking him into a tree.

She lifts the tree and tosses it backward.

But one of those nin starts to get fancy, a water jutsu – a Mist specialty judging by the spikes on the dragon – disperses into the air, and Minato pulls out a katon jutsu. Water steaming against fire, she uses this distraction and flashes behind him.

Kunai through the jugular.

Minato catches her eye and then flashes again.

.

“You’re Hiraishin isn’t bad,” Minato says after a moment, kunai flying, foot at knee and arm against a rib.

“I had a very annoying teacher,” she clenches her teeth and throws another one into a tree.

“He can’t be that bad if you’re keeping up with the _Yellow Flash,_ ”

“Arrogance is not very attractive,” Sakura snorts.

Minato ducks when she tosses another nin like shuriken and then grazes the back of her neck with his fingers, “It is to you.”

“If I get to Orochimaru first, I’m not saving you a piece,”

.

Somehow Minato and her students meet in the middle.

“Shikaku-sensei, Fugaku-sensei, and Inoichi-sensei are taking care of the summon,” Obito reports, sharingan spinning, kunai twirling and he stands next to Kakashi.

“Casualties?”

“Not that we know of,” Rin answers.

Minato gives a curt nod.

.

Orochimaru hides behind his lackeys.

It takes Minato less than a minute immobilizes them and Sakura hisses, “Show off!”

He breathes a laugh.

She grabs a tree trunk and swings at another set of nin.

“Where do they keep coming from?” Obito gasps and flips over a water jutsu.

“It’s Sound and Lightning,” Kakashi hisses when a blade swipes his forearm.

“I thought we had a treaty!”

“Orochimaru has a habit of poisoning—” Sakura’s answer gets cut off when a summon somehow grabs at her ankle, tossing her into the wind, and she yelps before slamming a seal onto the ground.

“Sakura-shishou!” Rin cries out and Minato ducks underneath another fire jutsu.

Sakura hisses, “I’m fine, just watch your teammates!”

Sakura slams her foot into the ground, ripping into another willow and her hands bleed blue.

.

Sakura doesn’t use kunais like Minato. It carries too much weight. Her weapons pouch is full of poisons, herbs, medicine, bandages, needles, scrolls—things that she can use to help her teammates. She needs the space. There’s only so much she can bring onto the field and using weapons would just slow her down.

Which is why she’s made sure her weapons are her _fists._

However, when using the Hiraishin, it proves to be a disadvantage, because disrupting the earth and her surroundings minimize her use of seals and places to flash towards.

She calculates the angle of Minato’s speed, notices how he gets closer and closer to Manda.

Then there is a crackle, lightning and she is airborne.

.

Sakura hisses as the lightning runs its course, she seals the cut with chakra and braces herself to slam onto the earth—

—a shoulder shoves and slides in between her breasts, an arm around her knees, her throat rests against his collarbone—

—she gasps at the dig in her stomach, that’s when sees the fan and the lack of an arm. She blinks rapidly, skin cold, her stomach drops, and her heart _pounds,_ “Sasuke?”

Sasuke turns to look at her and gives her a smile, “Sakura.”

“ _SAKURA-SHISHOU!”_

.

It’s Rin’s scream that causes Minato’s heart to drop. He knows that Sakura can take care of herself. He knows this, deep in his bones, in the marrow where his blood sings and is born anew. He knows this, deep in the pit of his soul, but can’t help but shove a nin into a tree trunk, hastily, and search for her. 

Minato sees her, in the arm of another man, sprinting through the branches and there is blood trailing down her arm.

His eyes are a storm, cobalt, and silver. His jaw hardens, he tosses a kunai near Obito and yanks one of the S-rank missing-nin – mercenaries it seems, a body is a body until it is etched with skills – into the ground.

Orochimaru is battling Chouza and Shikaku it seems.

He just needs a second.

A few seconds, actually.

Minato flashes, lightning he is and embodies — he presses forward and Sakura sees him.

Her eyes widen and just as he’s about to grab her, the dark-haired nin disappears in the opposite direction.

Minato feels something go cold inside him.

That’s something new altogether.

.

“Put me _down,_ Sasuke,” Sakura hisses once the shock melts over into irritation, “Minato might actually _kill_ you.”

Sasuke snorts and sets her down next to Kakashi, “Really, the dobe’s fa—”

She slaps a hand over his mouth, “Shut it.”

His eye narrows at her – he hides his rinnegan she notices – and stares at the small Kakashi with surprise.

“Who the _hell_ are you?” Kakashi scowls and pushes Sakura behind him.

Sasuke stares at him disbelievingly.

“Sensei is honestly your twelve-year-old clone,” Sakura snorts and then giggles when he ogles.

“You _know_ him?” Obito sounds bewildered and holds his stance with Kakashi.

But then Minato flashes in front of them and it goes all downhill from there.

.

Minato is on the ground before Rin can blink. He flashes towards his team, an arm wraps around Sakura’s waist and he pulls her back. She exhales roughly when she’s tugged into a firm chest, hand sliding in the back of her hair and pulls her closer.

“Sakura,” he can’t recognize his own voice, even though it’s steady, it sounds undeniably harsh, “Talk to me, are you hurt?”

“I’m fine,” she assures him nervously, she heals her arm and inhales, “You?”

“Fine,” Minato cups her face and brings her closer. He assesses the scratch on her cheek, the bruise on her shoulder, and the blood on her waist.

He nods more to himself and turns to look at the dark-haired man who watches them with something akin to incredulity. Blue eyes blaze, his jaw clenches, and – in a rare fit of anger that has the pink-haired medic whirling – Minato hisses, “And who the _hell_ are you?”

The foreign nin furrows his brows like he couldn’t _understand_ —

“—Sasuke,” Sakura swallows when his grip tightens on her.

Minato’s posture goes from protective to _desperate_ , immediately.

.

“Later,” Sakura says more to Sasuke then she does to Minato, “We need to deal with Orochimaru.”

Sasuke snorts, “I’ll handle it,”

Minato cocks a brow, “Can you reach him? He hides behind a guard squad.”

“I killed him once,” he shakes his head and reveals the rinnegan, “I can do it again.”

Kakashi and Obito both stiffen.

Sasuke looks at her slowly, eyes dipping down her form – she feels something curl into her – and affirms, “Later.”

He disappears.

.

“Obito, Rin, Kakashi,” Minato calls out abruptly, “Find the wounded and bring them to Tsunade-sama. If Sasuke-san believes that he can eliminate Orochimaru then this will end quickly.”

His team looks at him and then at Sakura before disappearing.

.

“Find Sasuke,” Sakura says swiftly and she warns him when opens his mouth, “Orochimaru is stronger now than he was in the future. He can use the reanimation jutsu, we don’t know who he will bring back.”

Minato knows she’s right and it _hurts_. He kisses her then, harsh and terrified, and whispers into her mouth, “Don’t _make_ me find you.”

“I have to find Kabuto,” she promises, “I always come back to you, remember?”

.

Minato flashes next to Sasuke, Sasuke who runs down the line of the snake, lightning sizzles against his sword and he slams his foot against the snake. Pulling out a scroll, he summons a shuriken and throws.

Lightning fizzes, shuriken’s rolling, and then he murmurs, “Release.”

And the blades sing with million types of kunai.

It gives Minato enough time to use the second stage of his flying raijin and materializes a rasengan.

Sasuke then calls out when Orochimaru flies towards him, “Susanoo.”

.

“I have waited for this day,” Sakura almost laughs with glee when Kabuto blinks at her speed.

“Do I know you?” Kabuto manages to ask, their chakra scalpels clash, blue against white and she slams her foot against the ground, “A Senju?”

“Close,” she breathes and then dodges a blow to the ribs. He’s younger here, not as skilled, but still fast.

It’s a tease. One trying to hit the other and attempting to not get hit. It almost reminds of her and Minato, when they play tag, but she shakes her head out of that thought. She never, ever wants to compare _Kabuto_ to Minato.

She shudders.

Kabuto frowns.

.

It’s a circle.

Sakura’s fight takes her to the body of Orochimaru and a rendezvous with her students who are helping the fallen shinobi.

Kabuto is a slippery bastard, so she doesn’t see the katana slide behind her from his _chakra strings._

Not even when she slams a fist into his chest cavity.

.

Sakura’s students watch with horror as Sakura walks on of the field with a katana shoved in between the fourth and fifth rib.

Sasuke stands and watches as Minato flashes to her.

 _“Sakura!”_ Minato screams.

Kakashi swallows the lump in his throat.

Minato-sensei _never_ screams.

.

Sakura coughs up a chunk of blood and holds out her hand. “Stop,” she breathes wetly, “Don’t come closer. You need to stay four feet away. It’s an airborne poison. Rin three drops of tiger’s ear and four drops saline.”

Minato doesn’t move even though his instincts scream at him to do so. Remaining calm tests his resolve, he thinks. Only Sakura can bring out the best and worst things in him. Only she can test his patience, his worry, his _devotion_ —

—Rin tosses him the elixir.

“Roll it over, slowly,” she instructs.

It’s difficult to move, breathe even, as she bends down and grabs the bottle. Sakura downs it in one go and gives it a second.

She knows Minato hates it when she uses it, but, “Yin-seal: Release!”

Black threads trail down the jewel of her forehead, her eyes neon, and the wounds heal like water on a leaf. She yanks out the katana, swift and strong. Tosses it, like a hot stone, and seals the wound with a huff.

Minato’s breathing is hard and heavy, his ears thud and he can’t possibly wait _any_ longer. “Okay?”

Sakura sighs and nods.

Minato _flashes._

.

“I should put my seal on you,” Minato hisses into her face, his fingers drag up her hair, touching the sides of her face and the back of her shoulders, “You’re always finding yourself in trouble.”

“Do it and I’ll put my seal on you,” Sakura bites back and fights a shiver when he traces over a black line.

“Promise?”

She laughs when he pulls her into him, he holds her close, hard enough to feel the lines of her body, deep enough until he can feel the soft movements of her chest, breathing, living and being. His hands trace all the skin he can find, bare and clothed.

“You took ten years off my life,” Minato sighs into her hair, his heart steadying.

“Actually I took a day or two—”

He squeezes her.

“Too soon?” Sakura giggles nervously.

“I want all your days, you _monster_ —”

“—you _promised_ me you wouldn’t _use_ that name ever _again_ —”

“—and your nights.”

Minato kisses her then, uncaring of who and what fucking _God_ sees.

.

Sasuke can only stare at the blonde, the Fourth Hokage, who shoves his _tongue_ down his teammate’s throat.

“Aren’t you supposed to be her teammate?” Kakashi – small Kakashi – frowns and crosses his arms, “Why didn’t you go save her?”

“Teammates are supposed to be our family, it doesn’t matter if they are from different clans,” Obito chimes in with a scowl.

“How could you leave her like that?” Rin shakes her head.

.

Sakura watches the scenario very warily.

“Sakura has a habit of getting stabbed,” Sasuke deadpans, his fingers rest over his katana, “She can take care of herself. As long as she has chakra she’s practically immortal.”

“A _habit_ of getting stabbed—?”

Minato glares at her and warns her half-jokingly, half-serious, and all types of distraught, “Tonight; I’m putting that seal on you.”

She scowls, “I’m putting my seal on your _ass_ , then.”

“Seriously Minato-sensei, Sakura-sensei, we’re _right_ here!” Obito whines.

.

The hospital is flooded. Hundreds of shinobi are wounded, but thankfully most injuries aren’t critical. Sakura and Rin spend the late hours of the evening into the early hours of the morning in the hospital, healing and discharging shinobi and settling paperwork.

Sakura comes home eight in the morning.

She’s dehydrated, has a severe set of hunger pangs attacking her stomach, and she’s pretty sure that’s dried blood in her hair. Minato catches her before she falls apart in the living room, he helps her kick off her boots and runs her a bath. She feels like she’s been scraped raw, Tsunade had scolded her for overusing her reserves earlier and she had to restructure an entire nervous system,

She just wants to _sleep._

Minato washes her hair, cleans the dirt under her nails, dries her hair, oils her, and puts her to bed. He wakes her up after an hour, hands her two riceballs, and a cup of water, “You need to eat.”

“Tired,” Sakura’s tongue is heavy and her eyes droop, “Want to sleep.”

“I know, but you need to eat,” he is patient and steady, but his hands aren’t, “You need to build back your reserves.”

Sakura eats one riceball and drinks the entire glass of water.

She sleeps for eighteen hours.

.

“Sakura-sensei,” Obito pokes her cheek.

She flips over onto her side. There are a thousand things running through her mind, even though dazed from the copious amounts of sleep she just recovered from. The one thought, she never thought she would have to think about is: why is _Obito_ in her bed?

“I told you not to bother her, Obito,” Minato’s voice enters the room.

Sakura covers her head with a pillow.

“I brought her food!”

“She’ll eat later,”

“But it’s her favorite!”

That brings her out of her stupor and she peeks over her pillow, “Tempura?”

Obito beams, “ _And_ ice cream.”

It’s official: Obito is her _favorite_ student.

.

Four boxes of tempura, three riceballs, and half a pint of ice cream later, Sakura feels relatively human. Rin, who woke up three hours ago, shows up on Kakashi’s shoulder and settles onto her couch. Obito watches Sakura attack her vegetable pancake while taking bites of strawberry cream and—

“—where is it all going?” Obito almost gags in disgust.

“My seal,” she says.

“I think Obito is trying to call you fat, Sakura-sensei,”

“Kakashi!” he gapes in horror, “What the hell?”

He snickers.

“Kakashi, Obito,” Minato starts up in his scolding voice, his hands wrap around Sakura’s shoulder and his thumb presses into the vertebrae just under her nape, and she sighs into her ice cream, “Rin-chan is sleepy _._ Don’t make so much noise.”

“I’m fine, sensei,” Rin grumbles from the couch, “I’m just tired. There were a _lot_ of injuries.”

“We cleared at least sixty-five percent of them,” Sakura offers and leaves her pancakes for her ice cream, “Since Tsunade-sama is back in the village, I don’t have jurisdiction of hospital rules—unless, well, if she gives it to me. We aren’t needed for a few days.”

“Tsunade-sama can handle it?” Obito wrinkles his nose.

“That and a lot more,” Sakura snorts, “Remember she’s my master. She taught me everything I know.”

“Almost everything,” Minato corrects and his thumbs digs into her spine, “ _I_ taught you the Hiraishin.”

She rolls her eyes and he presses a kiss to her hair.

“So _you_ taught her the Hiraishin,” Sasuke appears on her kitchen counter, “Figures you would take up another teacher.”

Minato stills behind her, his fingers curl into her shoulder blades and his chakra throbs from beneath the pads of his fingertips.

“I was always an excellent student,” she sniffs and shoves her spoon back into her carton, “Where have you been lurking?”

Sasuke raises his brows at her sarcasm.

Time blunts all things, feelings included.

“Around,” he shrugs, “I talked to Kakashi, he wants to know why his sharingan isn’t working anymore.”

Obito stumbles backward, “Kakashi—”

“I have the sharingan?” Kakashi interjects with surprise, “How is that even possible?”

“Sasuke I will _gut you_ like the snake you are if you don’t _shut your mouth,_ ” Sakura hisses and stands up abruptly. The chair topples behind her, Minato takes a step back to steady the piece of furniture and then glance at his students.

“You’ve already changed the timeline, Sakura,” Sasuke says and then looks at her, “Even if you didn’t mean to. We need to figure out when the changes become permanent.”

Sakura’s lips thin, “Outside. Now.”

.

Sasuke scowls but disappears into the front yard. Sakura fastens her sleeping robe and runs a hand threw her hair. She turns to look at Minato who stares at the door with a hard jaw and blazing blue orbs. She tells him, “I have to talk to him.”

Minato looks at her for a moment. His expression is ferocious and still, “Do you—”

“No,” she says immediately and then shakes her head, “I have to do this myself.”

He nods rapidly, almost as if he’s trying to convince himself of something and he doesn’t look at her.

And it _hurts._

Sasuke won’t ruin this—not for her, not to _him._

Sakura cups his jaw and presses a soft kiss to his mouth, “I’ll be back soon.”

Minato’s eyes soften but his hands shake even when they touch her arms, “Promise?”

“I’ll always come back to you.”

.

“Well, you’ve ruined my morning,” Sakura huffs, closes her wire gate, and motions him to follow her, “The backyard, I have to check on Kakashi’s garden.”

“Kakashi has a garden?” Sasuke cocks a brow but follows nonetheless.

“He has to get rid of some of that _anger_ buried inside himself,” she replies, “It’s not healthy for pre-teen boys to hold onto anger, rage, and ignore common sense altogether. You’re a prime example of that.”

.

Minato knows he shouldn’t worry, but he’s heard all types of things about Sasuke from her. How he broke her heart to pieces. How he picked at her self-esteem. How he tried to _kill_ her. He would—could never understand how Sasuke could lose himself like that. Even with all the manipulation, tragedy, and grief—it just doesn’t make _sense_ to him.

He doesn’t know how _she_ fell in love with him.

He just doesn’t _know._

There is a part of him. The soft, vulnerable, easy to bleed, easy to bruise, and unprotected part of him, that feels a small tendril of _fear_ lick it's way into the doubts of his mind. He always feels that small piece of terror when he fights when he kills, when his students are in the field, when Sakura—

—Minato exhales shakily.

When he saw that katana embedded deep into her ribs, he felt that same lick of terror, but instead of it being a shock, it came in a roaring inferno that threatened the pillars of his restraint.

It was like a crack to the heart.

Ice against flame, skin against metal, brain against time.

Sakura has done something that no one has ever been able to do before.

And that is _shake_ him.

.

“What do you _mean_ it’s not working?” Sakura stares at him, “Is it bleeding? Headaches? Sasuke, you have to be more specific.”

Sasuke rolls his eyes, “He said that he can’t turn on his sharingan.”

“It might be because of his blood,” she muses, but then she looks at her garden and thinks, “Or because I switched the mission.”

“What mission?”

“The one where Obito dies, I had Minato go with them,” Sakura explains, “Then, a few days later, he killed Madara.”

Sasuke stared at her, “Sakura what _did_ you do?”

She tells him.

.

“Kakashi is losing his sharingan because Rin didn’t do the transplant,” Sakura explains and crosses her arms over her chest, “He must be feeling the effects of it now. Once I got rid of Danzo, talks about the coup stopped right where they were formed.”

“Your parents have a son,” Sasuke says slowly, “Apparently they immigrated to Konoha.”

“I heard,” she sighs, “They’re not in this time period. I can only assume it’s to balance out me being in two places at once.”

“You’ve given this a lot of thought,” he points out.

“It’s cause and effect, Sasuke,” Sakura huffs, “It’s not really all _that_ complicated.”

.

When Kushina left it had hurt.

But if Sakura leaves – and Minato won’t stop her if she does – it will _break_ him.

.

“I won’t have the rinnegan then,” Sasuke says abruptly, he blinks rapidly and looks at her, “If you stopped the massacre, I don’t leave the village and—”

“You get to be a normal boy?” Sakura inquires amusedly, “Yes. I gather—”

She stills.

“What?” he stands tall.

“Your birthday,” her eyes widen, “It’s the end of this week.”

“Kaa-chan is pregnant?”

“With you? Yes,” she affirms and then puts the pieces together, “That’s when everything will change. When you’re born, you won’t be able to use the rinnegan and that means you can’t travel back and forth from time.”

Sasuke’s eyes widen fractionally, “Once that happens, Kakashi’s eyes will lose the sharingan. Completely.”

“It will be like it never happened, I can assume Obito and Rin aren’t there because the effects in this time haven’t taken place yet,” she hypothesizes, “You’re Indra’s reincarnate, your birth starts the change in time.”

“And Naruto enforces it, ” Sasuke follows her line of thought, “It ends when—”

“When Kaguya comes back, Zetsu is probably still alive even though Obito isn’t affected,” Sakura rubs her face, “I couldn’t help that one. You’re going to have to seal her again and you’ll get the Rinnegan again then.”

“You gave me back my family, Sakura,” Sasuke shakes his head, “That’s more than I can ever ask for.”

Sakura almost smiles.

.

“So, Naruto’s dad?”

“Sasuke, I _will_ hit you.”

“What do you even _see_ in him?”

Sakura rolls her eyes, “Sasuke, do you _see_ Naruto when you look at Minato?”

Sasuke takes a minute to understand that _Minato_ is actually the Fourth Hokage’s name, he clears his throat, “They have similar coloring,”

“Naruto has his mother’s eye coloring, violet-blue, and his hair is much brighter than Minato’s,” she explains, “And he is much—”

“Please, I do _not_ want to hear you write wax poetry about him,”

.

“I didn’t mean to, you know,” Sakura says suddenly, “Kushina left the village before I even got here. I don’t know if it was by mistake or design. It just happened, Sasuke. He isn’t like anyone I’ve ever met before. I can’t compare him to anyone. He’s brilliant. In every way—”

“And me?”

Sakura snaps her head to look at him and the air in her throat goes tight, “What?”

“You love him,” he looks at her as if he’s seeing her for the first time.

“I—” she inhales sharply, “Yeah. I do.”

And it doesn’t hurt to say those words, it’s a realization that makes her head light.

.

“You’re not coming back, are you?”

“I’ve made my peace with it, Sasuke,”

.

Sakura doesn’t ask about Naruto.

And Sasuke doesn’t give any answers.

She thinks it’s for the best.

.

“Sakura,” Sasuke says simply and then he smiles. It’s painful and beautiful, “I’m sorry I’m not the one.”

Sakura’s heart breaks and mends at the same time, “Me too,” she tells him, “Maybe in another life.”

Maybe then.

Sasuke pokes the gem on her forehead, “You deserve to be happy, Sakura,”

“So do you, Sasuke-kun,” she adds the suffix because habits are sometimes good and well.

Sakura lets him go and she hasn’t felt this free in years.

.

“Where is everyone?” Sakura walks back into the house, Minato sits on the couch – he’s reading Icha Icha and she’s just going to have to _burn_ that book, isn’t she? – and looks up.

“Went home,” he says evenly, “Kakashi went with Obito to do with rotations and dropped Rin home to get some more rest.”

“It’s almost sunset,” Sakura comments with surprise.

“You’ve been out for a long time,” Minato states and sits up, “Sasuke?”

“Went back,” Sakura shrugs off her robe and grabs a bottle of water from the counter.

He stills and asks with wide eyes, “Back?”

“Back to the future?” Sakura says slowly, confusedly.

Minato’s lungs cease to function and he stammers, “Y-You didn’t go with him?”

“Why would I go with him?” she frowns.

“I—I,” the knot is thick in his throat.

.

“Minato?” she stares at him, bewildered.

“Is he coming back?”

“No,” Sakura explains with a shrug, “After this weekend he won’t be able to travel through time anymore. Mikoto will give birth Friday and everything I’ve done in this period will be sealed as permanent—”

“You’re not leaving?” Minato blurts out.

.

Sakura’s heart is _trembling_ in her chest. She tries to smile but it comes out like a grimace and the walls, they feel like they’re closing in. She can’t breathe because she fears that even a drop of air may shatter the remains of her bruised, battered, and delicate heart.

“D-Did you want me to leave?” and she hates and hates, the way he makes her feel, the way her voice sounds _small._

“I thought you were going to go,” Minato swallows and stands up to face her, “To go back to your own time—”

“Minato,” her voice fucking _cracks,_ “Do you _want_ me to go?”

_Tell me._

_Tell me._

_Tell me that you want me to stay. Tell me that you want me. Tell me that you want next to you, at your side, in your arms—tell me to stay._

_Tell me._

“No,” he breathes heavily and walks towards her. He repeats, “No. I don’t want you to go. I want you to stay with me. But I wouldn’t have stopped you if you wanted to go. If you wanted to go back with Sasuke—”

Sakura’s fist meets his stomach.

Minato doubles over and gasps in pain.

“You’re so _stupid!_ ” Sakura shrieks and she wants to throttle this dumb, _blonde_ idiot! “I told you, _weeks ago,_ that I didn’t want him! That I don’t feel that way about him anymore! Why would I go back with him?!”

He winces and tries to calm her down.

But Sakura is _furious_ and because she is _furious,_ she is allowed to shake the world with both hands and _demand_ justice.

“Sakura, I wasn’t going to stop you if you wanted to go back,” his voice is louder now and desires her to see reason.

_Good._

_Get angry._

“Well, why _not_?” she scowls and it’s like lightning. Striking and impossible to move, “Did you want me to go? I supposed since you had your fun and all. What was it like, Minato- _sama_? Playing with the girl who holds your future? Are all your _needs_ —”

“Sakura,” Minato snaps, pushes her up against the wall, shoves a knee in between her thighs and he is _angry._ It’s a beautiful thing. Blue eyes darken with storms, heavy and cloudy, salt and moonlight, his jaw hard and full of wrath. “Don’t _ever_ let me hear you speak like that _again._ How could you even _think_ of something like that—?”

“How could you _want_ me to go?!”

“I _don’t!_ ” he howls, electrons humming, chakra buzzing and his voice is like livewire, “I don’t want you to go! I want you to stay with me and—”

“Then why would you think I would go! Hm? If I didn’t love you I would’ve jumped back through the portal with him, no hesitation. _Nothing!_ There would be nothing holding me back! I would see Kakashi and—”

_Minato cannot breathe._

His thigh raises her so high up that she has to wrap her legs around his waist to keep balance.

Minato’s eyes are wild and feral, he cups her face, nails digging underneath her thighs, he both demands and pleads, “Say it again.”

Sakura scowls, “Say _what_ again—?”

The lock clicks in place.

_Oh._

“Say it again, Sakura,” Minato begs her, blue eyes softening into oceans, deep and riveting. He pins her with his gaze, hips pressing into the flesh of her waist and arms caging her—sinking into her.

She swallows, “I love you.”

Minato presses his forehead against her’s and inhales shakily.

He can’t control it. The crashing tide of his emotions, the ones he kept at bay, the sway of the wind, and the taste of salt. He desires her, above all. His adoration and devotion stings him the same way lightning does. It settles into his fingers and grows and grows until he feels it everywhere.

“Minato,” Sakura inhales him in and she repeats it, softer, gentler, “I love you.”

Minato seals his lips to hers.

.

Minato leaves bites on her thighs, her ankles, parts of her back, and presses his lips against the scars littering her abdomen. He takes her hard and fast at first, but then it melds into something slower, deeper, but no less intense.

Her thighs quiver when her orgasms blend into each other, he holds her legs over his thighs and keeps his eyes on her. He doesn’t let her trail away, not even when he angles hips to slap at her clit.

“Look at me, love,” he murmurs into her ear when he flips her to the side, hooking a leg over his neck, a fist buries itself in her hair and pulls her head until his mouth is a mere breath away.

But it’s _too much._

“I can’t, it’s—” Sakura’s moan breaks into an erotic gasp that has him groaning at her sudden flex of muscles.

Minato uses his free hand to rest over her mound of Venus and then he _squeezes._

Sakura’s mouth drops open and she just _melts._

.

“Is your stomach still sore?” Minato rests his fingers over the kanji resting above her pubic mound, the ink will fade with time, but his chakra swirling in the mark tingles every time she touches it.

“Is your ass still sore?” Sakura counters, her nails raking down his lower back down to his left cheek, he winces at the sting and flushes at the sudden tingle of her chakra.

“I cannot believe you put a seal on my ass,” he rolls starlight orbs and pulls her closer to his chest.

“Tit for tat,” she sings and laughs when his fingers dig into her waist.

“It’s a safety clause,”

“And mine is for my own amusement,” Sakura snorts, her fingers twist in his hair, and she whispers possessively, “Or it could be so you can’t get rid of me.”

Minato chortles, “Sakura, I want you with me, always.”

“The feeling is mutual,”

“You were much more romantic, earlier, I feel a little hurt,”

“ _Fuck you_ ,”

“In an hour, you’re still sore,”

Sakura glares.

.

When it’s three in the morning, she tells him; everything.

Well, _almost_ everything.

“Once upon a time, there was a boy named Naruto…”

.

“I’m leaving my family,” Sakura finally says, “I shouldn’t feel guilty but I do.”

Minato stares at her, then he lifts her left hand up, ghosts a circle around her fourth knuckle and she inhales sharply when he silently swears his loyalty and devotion for her, to her. He promises, “We’ll make our own family.”

.


	7. you swept me off my feet

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you haven't listened to Jhene Aiko's Magic Hour, you should.  
> Thanks for the speech Raven! <3  
> See you at the bottom!

After baby Sasuke is born – she had to _literally_ throw Fugaku out of the delivery room because Mikoto threatened to maim in horrific detail – and adult Sasuke never came back.

She knows it’s for the best, but there’s always that small piece of her that mourns to _know,_ to wonder what happens in the future. But Sasuke had told her something that made her really _think_ – being that Sasuke _was_ a time traveler and all that – he said, “The present is called a _present_ for a reason, don’t spend time looking for the future when you have everything you want right now.”

She thinks, for once, Sasuke is right.

All that angst, soul-searching, and life lessons have taught him something valuable.

Sakura looks down at a baby Sasuke with a smile and promises herself:

_I’m going to make your life a living hell._

In the best way possible, of course.

.

The aftermath of the invasion brings more than just peace, it brings hope.

Sakura is in the training field with her kids, she gives them a chakra control lesson – now that Obito’s sharingan has developed into the second stage, his control is genin-level at best – it’s meditation and sharing chakra that has them all out of sorts.

Minato and Sakura had both figured out that chakra could be shared as long as it was converted into compatible forms. Converting chakra and transferring requires high forms of concentration and control; it’s a good form of training for them, they had mused.

With the three of them back to back, a pyramid, and at ease—it’s a nice picture.

.

Sakura thinks she’s spoken too soon.

Minato materializes on the training fields, like lightning – because how else are you supposed to compare him? – he zips through the trees and tackles Sakura to the ground.

“This is _assault_!” she squeals when he pulls her into her chest and they roll around like hyperactive puppies.

“Sensei! You ruined my concentration,” Obito whines, his head drops to Rin’s shoulder in defeat.

Minato smiles sheepishly, “Sorry about that, Obito. I have news.”

“What kind of news?” Sakura asks from underneath him, he shifts to lay on his side, and she tosses a leg over his hips.

“I just _ate,_ ” Kakashi groans at the public display of affection.

“I got promoted,” Minato _beams._

Sakura sits up abruptly and gasps, “The kageship?”

“Wait—” Rin shakes her head, eyes widening and she sits up, “Wait—if you’re promoted then that means...”

“You’re going to be Hokage,” Sakura grins and presses her lips to his forehead in elation. Then she flips her hair back and laughs, “I mean, I already _knew_ this was going to happen.”

“Don’t steal my fun,” Minato laughs despite himself, he sits up and presses a kiss to her a temple, “The coronation is tomorrow.”

“I’m still trying to wrap my head around all this,” Obito rubs his temples.

“Does that mean I have to call you Hokage-sama now?” Kakashi asks suddenly.

.

“I’m proud of you, you know,” Sakura smiles at him when the sun dips into marigold and blush. On the Hokage mountain, they have a small clearing where they go to disappear from the world, and he loves that she loves it—because it’s for them and only them.

_Sunset._

It’s _their_ time.

_When the sun meets the ocean, the earth meets the sky and the world spins for them._

Minato wants to tell her that.

He wants to tell her that he is grateful that the Gods brought her to him, that she’s here with him, that he wants nothing but her and he wants to tell her all the things he’s never told anyone before. Things that he’s embarrassed by, things that he’s scared of, his thoughts, his hopes, his dreams, but all that comes out is:

“Marry me.”

.

Sakura’s sea-foam orbs widen. The dips in blue and aqua color him blind. He watches her, committing the memory to his brain. The play of light, the rose of satin, and his heart _twists_ in the cavity of his chest. He wonders if he’s asked to soon. If he’s rushing this too much because Sasuke just _left_ and maybe he should have waited.

Minato knows, deep in his chest, in the bones that anchor him, in the cells that take refuge in his body, that Sakura is _it_ for him.

Once upon a time, he was terrified by the overwhelming swell of emotions that bubbled up to the surface when he had met her. His feelings, his sanity, his _rationality_ was threatened by this woman. And as much as he was terrified to open up each facet, examine it with the scrutiny of a scientist and understand the science behind the madness, it scared him even more to not _be_ with her.

 _The thing is_ , Minato has loved Sakura from the moment he’s met her.

It took days and weeks for him to fall _in_ love with her. He knows that now. It was different with Kushina, he had loved her, but not in the way he loves Sakura. With Kushina, it was simple, easy, and comfortable, but with Sakura, every day _demands_ to be lived to the fullest.

Perhaps, it's a strange thing. Love that is, but if he would ever demand for something, anything, selfishly, without question, without hesitation, it would be Sakura a thousand times over. For her, he would do _anything_ to make her happy and he knows that the feeling is mutual—

“—now?” she asks with disbelief.

 _The thing is_ , she isn’t saying _no._

.

Minato and Sakura marry at dusk, on the eve of his coronation, with their students and the Hokage as their witness.

Rin sniffles and Obito downright bawls, but it's Kakashi who smiles through all their wedding pictures. 

.

“What the _hell_ do you mean you’re _all_ pregnant?” Sakura looks aghast at her friends. Yoshino, who is three months, Hikari who is two months and Tsume who is four months. “Did you all _plan_ this?”

“It just…happened?” Yoshino grins sheepishly and Hikari blushes.

Mikoto laughs.

“And Tsume-chan! Who am I going to go drinking with when I start to lose my mind?” she scolds the Inuzuka clan heir.

Tsume shrugs, “Ask Tsunade-sama.”

“It’s your turn to jump the bandwagon, Sakura-chan,” Yoshino giggles, “When do you think Minato will propose?”

“Soon, if he knows what’s good for him,” Tsume snorts.

Sakura smiles nervously.

_Whoops._

.

“—your Yondaime, Minato Namikaze!” The Third Hokage announces, he places the headpiece on his successor and gives him a smile.

“It’s speech time!” Obito bounces on the balls of his feet and stares at him, “Minato-sensei actually _did_ it!”

“He looks kind of nervous,” Kakashi points out.

Minato looks as cool and composed as he usual, but Sakura can see the way his hands clench the podium, the strain in his smile as the crowd screams. Her husband – it really is a rush to even _think_ about – straightens his shoulders and measures the crowd. He’s nervous but happy.

And she is just so fucking _proud_ of this man.

“He looks like he belongs there,” Hikari muses next to her.

Sakura nods, “He does.”

“God, his speech is so _sappy,_ ” Tsume groans and rests a hand on her back, “How do you even _stand that_ , Sakura-chan?”

“Minato is _very romantic_ ,” she explains and then continues softly, “I’ve never had that before.”

Yoshino wraps her arms around her and pecks her on the cheek noisily, “You deserve it, you know.”

“—change is always a challenge. We changed from war to peace and now we are starting into a new future, a future where our children will get to grow up without the constant fighting, with both parents there to teach and nurture them. I want to make a future like that a reality, overcome the boundaries and create a brighter path for our future generations,” Minato says, “With our neighbors, with our friends, with our teachers, with our students,” he turns and winks to her, “With my wife.”

Yoshino stills and Sakura freezes.

_Oh no._

“You _little_ —” Tsume turns her head to hiss at her.

“You got _married_ and didn’t tell us?” Yoshino shrieks and drops her arms.

Mikoto’s sharingan flashes and she frowns, “Did you even have a _wedding?_ ”

“SAKURA!” Tsunade scowls as she stomps forward, “I am your _teacher._ Why was I _not_ invited? I _love_ weddings!”

Sakura uses the Hiraishin to appear on the balcony next to him and she squawks, “Minato, you _idiot_! Tsunade-shishou is going to _kill_ us!”

Minato looks at Tsunade who is speeding past the crowd, there are three angry pregnant women and that one Uchiha, that’s hot on her heels, and he pales. He smiles at the crowd, who inevitable starts laughing, he gives a cheesy wave and flashes away—hand in hand with Sakura.

.

They cave.

A week later, Minato and Sakura have a formal wedding.

Kakashi gives her away, Obito’s Minato’s best man – even though Shikaku demanded the position – and Rin is her maid of honor.

There are even more tears than the first time.

It’s the biggest party of the century, she thinks.

Kakashi gives her a kiss on the cheek and she almost starts crying.

But when Minato looks at her, in her kimono, when she walks up the aisle, his eyes are brighter than the _stars_ and grabs her hands—she _loses_ it.

And then Minato starts crying because Sakura is crying.

Because they are so ridiculously, unforgivably, and stupidly in _love_ that they cannot physically contain themselves.

“Good God,” Jiraiya sighs and hands Tsunade a handkerchief after she threatens him with bodily harm.

.

“If I knew becoming Hokage would mean burying myself alive in paperwork I wouldn’t have accepted the job,” Minato groans into her ear, his body slick with sweat, hands mapping the sides of her hips and he pulls out.

“You love it,” Sakura laughs as he flops onto his side.

“Maybe,” Minato whispers into the moonlight, “I do like the haori.”

Sakura swings a leg over his hips and sits up, “Do you now, _Hokage-sama_?”

He grumbles and rolls his hips, “Gods woman, don’t _ruin_ it for me.”

She laughs, and it’s a wonderful and beautiful thing.

.

One day, after back to back meetings with the elders, councilman and clan representatives.

Minato walks into a situation where there is no exit.

“Hokage-sama,” Kumiko, one of the elders starts off with a cross of the arms and a crotchety stare, “We believe that it is imperative that you produce an heir.”

Minato can hardly believe what he is hearing, so he inquires with minute disbelief, “ _Excuse me?”_

“We have never had a Hokage quite so young before,” she tells him and he has to fight the wave of revulsion that washes over him at the look, “You are young and in your prime. Producing an heir would give more of an ease to the older shinobi, who believe that someone with more _experience_ and quite frankly, _established,_ to handle this office. Producing heirs would help ease tensions and prove to the older generation that you are capable of such responsibilities.”

He could hardly speak for the words have left his brain.

Kumiko goes on when Minato doesn’t reply, “Is it Sakura-san? Is she—”

“My wife and our marriage have nothing to do with the _Elders,_ Himura-san,” Minato cuts in sharply, “It is inappropriate and it is unbecoming to have such questions directed to me and as Hokage. I am not of a clan and haven’t married into one either. You are dismissed.”

Kumiko flushes a burnt red but leaves with her nose high in the air.

Minato has _had_ it with old foggies thinking they have the _right_ to tell him how to run _his_ life and treat his _wife._ He seals off the Hokage’s office after his administration leaves for the day, flashes to the hospital, and kisses Sakura stupid.

Sakura grasps onto his Hokage’s haori and whispers, “Where are we going?”

“The clearing,” he grazes the skin of her throat.

And that answers that.

.

His teeth holds her nipple hostage as she swivels her hips down on him. She sets the place slower when she’s on top. Sakura’s hip rock onto him, her clit swollen and abused causes her to choke every time she slides back home. Minato holds her steady, bruising the expanse of her chest, her ribs, with his teeth and tongue.

Sakura groans when he tilts his hips upwards, catching that patch of nerves he has memorized – damn him and his photographic memory – and she shivers when he does it again.

“Hold onto me,” Minato whispers into her mouth and grabs the back of her thighs.

He rolls her back onto the blanket that he planned for earlier.

Minato slips one leg over his shoulder, wraps the other around his waist, and presses into her. It’s slower, deeper, intimate when he presses a kiss to her throat and flexes into her. He loves her under the night sky, with nothing but the moon and stars to witness.

And Sakura isn’t surprised that she is right—

—Minato’s eyes _are_ brighter than starlight.

.

Sakura pales as she sits back onto the couch. She knew from the moment she woke up, that something was _wrong._ She threw up her tempura from the night before _and_ her yakisoba. At first, she thought it might be the oil, but when the smell of shrimp nearly caused her knees to weaken—she had to call in.

“Tsunade-shishou,” Sakura starts off when she drops off some paperwork at the hospital, “I think I might be sick. I won’t be able to attend the banquet tomorrow.”

“The Daimyo will be there, Sakura,” Tsunade raises a brow. “What do you mean sick?”

“A gastrointestinal virus probably, I’ve had it a few years ago,” she waves it off, “I get it every once in a while.”

“That’s not supposed to be going around this time of year,” Tsunade points out with a frown, “Symptoms?”

Sakura’s list them off absently and amber eyes stare at her.

“What?” Sakura asks self-consciously.

“Sakura,” Tsunade snorts more out amusement than bewilderment, “Did you ever think that you might be pregnant?”

Sakura stares.

_Oh my god._

.

In her defense, Sakura has _never_ been pregnant. She doesn’t know what it’s supposed to _feel_ like. She may know all the symptoms, stages of the fetus, and the mechanisms of giving birth, but she didn’t know what it would _feel_ like. She doesn’t remember skipping out on birth control, she most certainly doesn’t remember when it happens – Minato has the endurance of a fucking _monster_ – but, all she does know is that every time she passes by the shops in the village square and smells tempura, she wants to _hurl._

Tsunade insists on conducting the scan on her a few hours later, once there’s a room and privacy.

“Four weeks,” she had said, chakra humming and mouth frowning, “Didn’t you get married three weeks ago?”

“Minato and his super sperm,” Sakura grumbles, then snaps up in shock, “How am I supposed to tell him?”

“How do you think he’ll react is the first question you should ask yourself,” Tsunade says and swipes her stomach lower.

“He’ll be _ecstatic,”_

“Then it really doesn’t matter, but make sure to get something out of it. The baby looks healthy, no signs of stupidity—”

Sakura rolls her eyes.

“—and it’s quite big for a month,” she comments with surprise.

“Oh _God,_ he’s going to have Minato’s head,”

Tsunade snickers, “You’re in for it now kid,” then pauses, “He?”

“I feel like it’s a boy,” she shrugs a small smile playing on her lips.

“I’ll take that bet,” she smirks, “Five hundred Ryo.”

Sakura laughs.

.

She’s _pregnant._

It was as if Sasuke slammed a chidori straight into her chest.

The Elders are going to have a _field_ day.

Sakura never really thought about having children – at the moment – because things just kept _happening._ Sasuke defecting, training with Tsunade, rescuing Gaara, finding Sasuke, Pein’s invasion, Madara Uchiha, the war, Kakashi’s Kamui, _another_ war, Madara _again_ , Danzo, and—

—it’s a lot, okay.

Sakura had given up the idea of having children for the sake of a better future.

And now there is.

.

Sakura flashes into Minato’s office – oh bad idea, the nausea is starting to catch up to her – she blinks slowly and frowns when she realizes Minato’s in her face.

“Sakura,” Minato repeats himself, a tendril of worry curls in the depths of his bowels, “Are you alright? You went a bit pale.”

Sakura blinks again and asks, “Dinner?”

He stares at her, thrown by the non-sequitur, and nods slowly, “Let me just finish this, alright. Where do you want to go?”

“Hotpot,” she says immediately, she’s craving all sorts of spicy things today and rice. Lots of rice. She sighs internally, thinking of all the food she gets to _eat._

“Are you sure?” Minato inquires with a quirked brow, he stacks a pile of paper onto the Jounin tables. “It’s quite warm.”

“I want hotpot, Minato,” Sakura demands with a curl of the lips.

“Yes, yes Hokage-sama,” he huffs a laugh.

.

“You know,” Sakura starts off dipping a piece of tofu into the broth, “This is the first time we’ve gone out to dinner. Alone.”

Minato startles at that for a moment, he opens his mouth and then closes it. He snorts, “It only took us a year and a wedding to get here.”

She giggles – a baby too – and grabs a broccoli, “I hear Kakashi and Anko are dating.”

“They’re twelve, Sakura,”

“Rin told me she caught them kissing,”

Minato shudders and places a piece of chicken into her bowl, “Why can’t kids stay kids?”

“The same reason puberty happens,”

“Sakura, I am trying to _eat_ ,” he replies exasperatedly.

“Your point?” she giggles and almost chokes on her rice when his sandaled foot slides up the length of her calf.

Minato smirks with his chopsticks in his mouth – arousal surges up in her like a wave and she has to bite down on a carrot to distract herself – and realizes that her hormones are going be _wild_ for the span of her pregnancy, “Just that.”

_This fucking man._

Sakura slides her foot up his thigh and rests it right—”

He inhales sharply and ocean eyes storm, “Sakura,”

She nibbles on a noodle and blinks innocently.

.

Sakura arches her back, her hair tumbling down her back sticking to her chest and her hands fist ino the couch. She thinks they’re going to have to buy a new couch if she sinks her nails into this one and rips it. He holds her steady and takes his time.

“Minato,” she inhales into a scream.

Sakura sits on the sofa with Minato kneeling in between her legs, his fingers are gentle inside her but his mouth is harsh on her clit. He rolls the bead in between his lips, suckling violently, she twists underneath his ministrations, and babbles, “Please, please, please, _please_ —”

And he curls those _wonderful_ fingers inside her.

.

“You feel different,” Minato comments lightly, covers her, and brings her into his shoulder.

“What?” her mind is fuzzy.

“Softer maybe,” he murmurs more to himself, his fingers trace her mound and dip in between her thighs, “More sensitive.”

“You went down on me for more than a half-hour,” she huffs.

“I didn’t hear you complaining,” Minato shot back wickedly and asks more seriously, “Tsunade-sama said you weren’t feeling well, is that it?”

“Did you really have sex with me knowing that you could get sick?” Sakura chuckles with amusement rather than irritation.

“My tongue has been inside you more times than I can count today,”

She flushes at his audacity, “You’re getting bolder, Hokage-sama,”

“What can I say, Namikaze-sama,” Minato teases her, fingers tracing her flush down to the base of her neck, “You bring out the lewd sides in me.”

“Or you’re spending too much time reading Jiraiya-sama’s books,”

“…”

.

“Ugh, I don’t want to be here,” Sakura scowls strapping on her sandals, “Is this even necessary?”

“The Daimyo thinks so,” Minato sighs and zips up the back of her dress. It’s a deep blue sundress, with thin straps and flares at the waist. It’s the most simple piece of clothing she owns and if they are to be walking around the Hyuuga compound, she needs to be as comfortable as she possibly can be.

“You look beautiful,” he says and kisses her gently.

She frowns, “If Ryuu-sama tries to touch me again, I’m breaking his arm,”

“I’ll take a picture,” Minato nods, “Or you can hold him and I can get a hit in.”

Sakura giggles, “I’m a _bad_ influence on you.”

“No man has the _right_ to touch _my_ wife,” he replies darkly, then smiles brightly, and whispers in her ear, “And besides, you _fucking_ like it.”

She _hates_ this man; using her own kinks against her.

_Diabolical._

They’re over two hours late.

.

“I’ve perfected it!” Kakashi laughs maniacally.

Sakura and Rin take a step back.

“Perfected what?” Minato raises a brow – he’s taken a break from Kage duties to oversee his students – and crosses his arms.

“My jutsu! One Thousand Birds,” he grins.

“Is it necessary to laugh like that?” Obito inquires with a timid smile.

“Uh _yes._ It took me three years to complete it!”

“So, are you going to show us?” Rin prompts.

“I have to build up to it, Rin,” Kakashi answers, he looks over at Sakura and chuckles, “As my student, Sakura-sensei, we should test it out.”

Sakura stares at him, “What does that even—?”

Kakashi throws a barrage of kunai at her and Sakura uses shunshin to reach the other side of the field, she scowls, “Kakashi!”

“I need a head start,” is his only explanation and then springs towards her.

Sakura leaps backward, she avoids tall places and the trees. She dodges another blow and hisses, “Kakashi! That’s enough! Stop this right now—!”

She shunshins back to the center of the field to avoid an explosive tag.

“Why isn’t she using her hiraishin?” she hears Rin asks Obito.

_It makes her nauseous._

Her chakra control has been acting up since the start of her pregnancy, she can’t heal more than a gash and it’s driving her _insane._ Her shunshin is okay, but it still disorientates her from time to time. Sakura tries to steady herself and shrieks, “Kakashi _stop!”_

_This is not how she wants to tell Minato._

The chirping birds remind her of _Sasuke_ and she almost hurls right then and there.

“But I’m almost there!”

He’s running and—

“— _Kakashi, I’m pregnant!”_

His voice is muffled and he can’t stop. He can’t stop because the chakra output is too much and there is no outlet—

—then there is lightning.

.

Minato cannot unhear those words, even if he tries.

Once the word _pregnant_ registers, he’s moving before he even registers it. He grabs Kakashi’s wrist and throws him into another direction. The chidori goes threw a tree, his fist inside the hollow circle and he yanks his fist back, stumbling with a gasp.

Obito is there to steady him.

Minato grabs Sakura, uses Hiraishin, and pulls her back from the circle of destruction.

Then she shoves a fist into his stomach once they stop, pushes him backward, and heaves in front of the weeping willow.

.

Minato holds her hair back as she empties the contents of her stomach. He doesn’t even wince, his fingers make soothing circles on her back and she coughs, “Water.”

The taste of her own bile makes her want to curl into herself.

Rin gives her a bottle of water and she rinses her mouth.

When she stands up, she leans into Minato and tells him with a pale face, “I think I need to lie down.”

.

Sakura’s head rests on Minato’s thigh as she tries to steady her center of gravity. His fingers stroke her hair, blunt fingernails gently scraping her scalp and massaging the small throbs of pain from her violent upheaval. “Ugh, I’m going to miss this.”

His fingers still, “What?”

“Laying on my back,” she opens her eyes and stares at her with sky-blue eyes, “Hi.”

Minato blinks rapidly and helps her sit up. He doesn’t know what to feel, there is apprehension, nerves, confusion all twisting up in his throat, “You’re,” he breathes and then asks softly, “Is it true?”

“That I’m pregnant?” Sakura blinks in disbelief, “I just threw up my insides and you’re asking me if it’s _true_?”

“I,” Minato stammers – he must truly be confused if he’s resorted to stuttering. She thought she shocked that out of him – he shakes his head quickly and then cups her face. Eyes softening seas and turquoise breeze, “Tell me, please.”

She smiles shyly at the intensity and whispers, “It’s true.”

The air escapes his lungs, he stares at her with stars in his eye and realizes, “So, I’m going to be a—a father?”

Sakura nods, laughs, and brings her forehead against his, “And I’m going to be a kaa-chan!”

Minato laughs, suddenly brightly, it pricks tears and it squeezes his heart. He cups her stomach where the life they made grows inside, he doesn’t know what position to hold her in, he can only stare at those jade-colored gems she calls eyes and just _look_ at her because—

“I love you.”

.

“Where’s Kakashi?” Sakura asks after sipping a bowl of miso soup. Simple foods are the only things she can stomach right now, after a bowl of rice and steamed fish, the color in her cheeks reappear.

Minato cooks _every_ meal.

He makes it a priority to keep the refrigerator well-stocked and if he or Sakura cannot get to the store, a few of his guards do it for them. He won’t take chances with her health, “As the Hokage’s wife, there will be lots of eyes and intentions towards you—good and bad.”

Sakura had scowled, “I don’t need chakra to break someone’s face, Minato.”

He wasn’t very pleased.

“I’m the Hokage and my duty will always be to my village and I may have a lot of patience and self-restraint, Sakura,” his eyes narrowed, “But I will absolutely not _tolerate_ any harm towards my wife and unborn child.”

Sometimes, Sakura wonders if Minato knows that his devotion, protection, and just in general, his consideration for her being, does to her hormones.

It’s genuinely not fair.

“Sulking,” Obito sighs and takes a seat at the table, “Rin’s tried to get him out of the corner in the living room, but I’m pretty sure he’s taken root and growing his precious enoki mushrooms.”

Minato rubs his face, “It’s been three days.”

“He’s feeling pretty guilty,” he points out and snacks on a riceball. He smiles then, “Did I tell you congratulations yet, Sakura-sensei? You’re going to be the coolest kaa-chan!”

Sakura cannot contain the urge to crush him to her chest.

He chokes and squirms, “Minato-sensei,” gasp, “ _Help_!”

Minato snickers, “You’re on your own, Obito.”

.

“Kakashi,” Sakura starts and kneels towards him, “C’mon, you’ve been sitting here for three days. You need to get up and eat,” she wrinkles her nose, “And shower.”

“Why are you still nice to me?” Kakashi interjects quietly, so quietly that Minato almost misses him, “I almost killed you and the baby.”

She snorts and decides to snap him out of it the quickest way she knows. Anger, “You think too highly of yourself, it’s going to take more than a chidori to kill me and the baby.”

“You said you couldn’t use your chakra!”

“I don’t need chakra to _throw_ you into a tree,” Sakura replies dryly, “My chakra just helps my strength.”

“So, I wouldn’t have hurt you?” he asks softly.

“Nope,” she says and cocks her head to the side, “And besides, Minato was there. He would never let anything happen to me.”

Kakashi remains quiet.

Her heart breaks at the solemn look on his face, “Kakashi—”

“I’m sorry, Sakura-sensei,”

_Dammit._

Sakura pulls Kakashi into her chest and holds him there. Her fingers stroke his unruly hair – the same way Minato does when she’s overwhelmed – and tells him, “I know you were excited and we were too. Just don’t be so hasty all the time, okay?”

And _fuck,_ those are tears on her collarbone.

Kakashi nods into her neck and his voice cracks, “Okay.”

“Oh,” Sakura sniffles, holds him tighter, and then starts to sob, “Kakashi don’t cry because you’re going to _make me cry_ and I’ve been crying at all _sorts of things_ this week!”

Minato really has his work cut out for him.

.

“It’s a bump!” Sakura looks at the mirror, Minato, who’s getting ready to the office looks back at her and stares at the small mound appearing on her stomach. His hand, strong, steady and warm cups the bump.

His thumb strokes the sides and he beams, “The baby is growing, when can I feel it move?”

“I’m only three months, Minato,” she says a matter-of-factly, “Maybe in another two months or three.”

“That long?” Minato actually whines.

She laughs, “Yes, development and all that.”

Minato kisses her sweetly, “Lunch?”

“Come find me,”

.

“Minato sure works fast,” Yoshino stares at Sakura’s four-month’ bump, “How many months? Five?”

“Four,” Sakura corrects and drinks her water, “We should start a club.”

Tsume who is rolling around at eight months, snorts, “A pregnancy club? By the time we hit ten members, I’ll be ready to pop!”

“All of our kids will be in the same class,” Hikari says with a smile.

Mikoto blinks at Sakura’s answer, “Four? Wouldn’t that mean—?”

“The night of coronation! Right?” Yoshino exclaims and then presses, “I’m right, aren’t I?”

Sakura flushes.

“Super sperm, indeed,” Tsume grins.

“I’m going to hide all of Tsunade-shishou’s sake,” Sakura grumbles under her breath.

.

“Is that a bear?” Minato asks with hesitation.

“It’s a platypus,” Obito corrects.

“But why does it have a pink bow?”

“What if it’s a girl?”

“What if it’s a boy?”

“We can take off the bow?”

“What if—”

“Just accept the gift, Minato-sensei!” Rin scowls and then pouts, “Obito worked really hard on it!”

It’s a beat-up plush platypus in a neon orange, with two different sized eyes and a red beak. It’s unique but odd and so very Obito.

Minato smiles, “Thank you Obito, I’m sure the baby will love it.”

The baby _will_ love it if the baby is _colorblind._

.

Sakura walks around Minato’s office as if she _owns_ it – she owns _him_ and he has the mark on his ass to prove it – and she does. He sits at his desk with an amused smile on his face, she wears his Kage’s robes and struts around the room with a binder in her hands.

“Well, if _I_ was Hokage,” she starts off with a twinkle in her eyes, the baby bump growing more and more pronounced as the days go by, the Kage robes fluttering around her like a blanket, “I would suggest checking over the finances of the civilian district. They don't need as many funds as shinobi need.”

Shikaku blinks in surprise, “She has a point, Minato.”

Minato snorts and then asks wryly, “And what else does our _highly-esteemed_ Hokage suggest?”

“ _Well,_ ” Sakura stresses and points to the binder, “Since you’ve asked so _nicely,_ I also suggest—”

—a solid blow from the inside causes her to double-over in a gasp and drops the binder.

Minato is in front of her before she has the time to _think._

“I’m getting Tsunade-sama,” Shikaku stiffens and disappears with concern.

“Sakura,” Minato’s voice is slightly hysterical – it’s funny, she’s never heard his tone reach that high before – his hands cup her swollen belly gently, and demands, “Talk to me, love.”

“Nothing, I just thought—”

Another swift kick.

Minato stills at the blow.

Sakura blinks wondrously and puts a hand on his, “Did—Did you _feel that_?”

Blue orbs shimmer with salt and moonlight. He smiles all wobbly and his eyes—they are _beautiful_ in all its awe and wonder, “The baby—”

“It’s moving!”

Minato starts to sniffle because it hits him that he’s going to be a _father_ and accuses her, “You’ve affected me with all your hormones, Sakura,”

“It’s not my fault you’re such a _sap,_ ”

.

Tsume’s birth is painful, but Kiba is adorable.

Hikari’s birth is pleasant compared to Mikoto.

Yoshino’s birth towards Shikamaru led to Yoshino breaking Shikaku’s hand.

Yoshino had looked at Minato with a wicked smile, “You’re next.”

.

“A baby shower,” Sakura looks at the village square in a grimace, “I don’t mind it, really. But is it necessary to invite the _entire_ village?”

“Tsunade-sama threatened me with bodily harm,” Minato smiles sheepishly.

“She just wants an excuse to drink,” she grumbles and puts a hand on her back, “I hid all her sake bottles! Shizune even dropped a few outside. It’s _revenge_ , I tell you. _Revenge._ ”

“Well, at least we’ll be well-stocked when the baby comes,” he points out and kisses the top of her head.

.

“—then, I said, Sak’ra don’t you think you’re pregnant?” Tsunade laughs into the mic and Sakura cringes into Minato’s shoulder, “Some _kind_ of apprentice!”

“Someone _stop_ her,” she groans.

“On it,” Rin disappears and reappears next to Tsunade.

“What is she doing?” Minato whispers.

“I don’t really know,” Sakura shrugs and then smiles, “Rin-chan always thinks the best on her feet. She’s my _apprentice_ , you know.”

“Tsunade-sama, Jiraiya-sama said your breasts were fake!”

And then there is silence.

Tsunade slams her glass down and scowls furiously, “Where the _hell_ is that idiot?”

“She’s an absolute _genius_ , that is what she is,” Minato whistles.

Rin turns to the couple and winks.

.

“To Minato-sensei and Sakura-sensei,” Kakashi lifts his cup of tea – she and Minato both checks her student’s cups because they were _not_ having a repeat of her birthday party – and finishes his speech, “May you have many more children and many more problems.”

Sakura chuckles at his grin, “He’s still angry we left the compound, huh?”

“He’ll get over it,” Minato calms the crowd with a wave of his hand and places a hand on her back, “After all, he’s going to be part of the security detail for the baby.”

.

“I say, _I_ hit it,”

“We’re using the kunai, Sakura,”

“But I haven’t used my fists in months!”

“It’s a balloon, not a _rock_ ,”

.

They decide to use Minato’s special kunai.

Sakura grabs the kunai with her right hand, Minato steps behind her, trails his hand up her arm and steadies her wrist.

“You know, we’ve never done this before,” she says casually.

“What? Pop a balloon?”

“ _That_ and target practice,” Sakura rolls her eyes.

“Let’s just hit the mark and not embarrass ourselves,” Minato’s hand rests on her stomach and angles her feet.

“ _If_ we can hit it,”

“Sakura,” he sighs into her cheek, “I don’t miss.”

“Remember, when I broke your kunai?” Sakura breathes wistfully.

“We promised to never speak about that _again,_ ”

“Ready!?” Obito calls out from the other side of the crowd.

.

Minato gives him the signal.

Obito releases the balloon.

The expecting parents aim the kunai, pull back, and release.

And then there is a pop.

.

“I _knew_ it!” Sakura beams and jumps up as the crowd screams it’s congratulations, “It’s a boy!”

Minato stares at the blue confetti that’s still falling from the sky, turns to look at his wife, pulls her in his arms and spins her around.

There is laughter, smiles, and a little bit of tears.

“A boy,” Minato whispers in awe and cups her belly.

“A son,” Sakura kisses him on his open mouth.

.

“What do you mean insert x into L2?” Minato scowls at the pieces of the crib in frustration, “None of these instructions make sense!”

“I told you to let the workers do their job,” Sakura sang when she walks into the room, she’s holding a bowl of tempura crisps and chews nonchalantly, “They are very eager to help their highly-esteemed, Hokage.”

“You’re patronizing me,”

She snorts, “Just a little.”

There's a poof and a leg over the windowsill. Kakashi stares at them and waves, “Yo.”

“I thought you and Rin were training?” Sakura frowns.

“Obito said you were going to start painting,” Kakashi lifts up a paintbrush, “I brought some of my tou-chan’s things.”

“You brought…one paintbrush?”

“How many do you even _need?_ ”

.

It takes a few shouts.

A thrown hammer.

A few tears.

A couple shots of sake.

And four cups of ramen to put the crib together.

.

“It’s going to be green, Minato.”

“Blue! Everyone _likes_ blue!”

“If you’re somehow carrying this baby and pushing him out, it’s going to stay _green_.”

They compromise on yellow.

.

“Gentle, Minato. Gentle,” Sakura hisses when his tongue flicks the tip of her nipple and then uses his thumb to smear his saliva, “I’m _sensitive!”_

“I know,” he says with awe and presses a kiss to her sternum, “You came at least twice and I didn’t even _touch_ you.”

“It’s my _hormones,_ ” Sakura whines when he circles her clit lightly and wiggles down onto his groin, “They’re trying to _strangle_ me.”

“I’m not complaining,” Minato gives her lip a gentle nip, “Think you can go again?”

“You _know_ I can,”

“I will always ask, you know,” he kisses the corner of her mouth.

“I know,” Sakura sighs into him when he slides home.

.

Pregnancy brings so many changes in Sakura that it makes Minato twitch in anticipation. Her pink hair is lustrous – even when she cuts it down to her shoulders because it started to suffocate her in her sleep – her eyes are even _greener,_ her skin is warmer, softer, sweeter and she smells _incredible._

And Minato isn’t the only one who notices.

“You’re absolutely glowing, Sakura-sama,” Hideki – the current ambassador of Iwa – compliments, his beady little eyes stare at her baby bump.

It brings something dark and _paternal_ out in him.

Minato’s eyes narrow – she swears her heart just _jumps_ when he gets like this – he places his brush back onto the Hokage’s desk and leans into his chair. “My _wife’s_ pregnancy is going very smoothly, Hideki-san, and it will continue to _remain_ that way.”

It’s a threat, very subtle, and diplomatically crafted.

Hideki-san stiffens at the promise.

_This was the man who single-handedly defeated Orochimaru and Madara Uchiha._

“I see,” he nods, “I hope for an easier birth, Namikaze-sama,”

Sakura blinks at the name.

Minato smiles smugly behind his hand.

.

Sakura splits her time from the hospital – doing mostly paperwork and assisting in surgeries – to assisting Minato with political and trade deals. Time as the Hokage’s apprentice and Kakashi’s advisor has given her skills that even Minato doesn’t have.

“What’s this?” Sakura asks accepting the drink from Kakashi’s bag.

“One of aunt’s blueberry tea,” he answers with a small flush, “It’s supposed to help with your headaches.”

“I can’t even stand up to hug you because I’ll squish the baby and it’s too much _work_ ,” she pouts, all her emotions a jumble and the sudden, rapid swell of affection she feels for the baby Hatake is overwhelming.

Kakashi shrugs nonchalantly.

“You can hug me though,” Sakura smiles sweetly.

He freezes and then laughs awkwardly.

“Kakashi has accumulated the social skills of a giraffe,” Obito snorts from the corner.

“That’s an insult to all giraffes,” Rin snickers.

Kakashi scowls.

“Remember when Rin-chan never used to agree with Obito?” Minato shakes his head in amusement.

“I happened,” Sakura takes credit for their close-knit partnerships, “And puberty.”

“I told you not to bring that _word_ up around me,”

Sakura laughs, “Minato is scared that you all are going to abandon him when you get older,”

“We’ll never abandon you, sensei! Even when you’re on your deathbed all wrinkly and old!” Obito declares fiercely.

Minato blanches.

And Sakura laughs even harder

.

“Hokage-sama,” Chouza breathes heavily as he reaches the door of his office, his hand rests on the door as he wheezes to catch a break.

“Chouza,” Minato sighs, “I’ve told you, you don’t have to call me Hokage-sama when it’s just—”

He waves his hands furiously, “No, it’s—”

“Chouza! I told you, I wanted to surprise Minato! I haven’t seen him in almost two years—”

Minato stands up abruptly and stares with disbelief, “Kushina,”

.

“WHERE IS HE?” Sakura’s voice booms as she furiously stomps down the hall, well, she waddles, as fast as she can in her white sundress and loose bun. Chouza turns to look at Inoichi in poorly masked trepidation.

Shikaku tries to save himself, “Sakura-chan, maybe you should wait outside—”

“He was my _husband_ before he became Hokage and if he wants to _remain,_ my husband, he will answer to me and _my_ baby!” Sakura picks up a paperweight from Chouza’s desk and stomps towards the door.

Inoichi whimpers, “I have lived a very long life.”

Sakura yanks the door open and hurls the paperweight at the Kage’s desk.

.

Minato hears Sakura before he sees her.

When the door slams open, Minato ducks and the paperweight flies threw the window. He notices the fury in her emerald eyes and swallows nervously, even at nine months pregnant, Sakura still manages to look _terrifying._

She waddles through the door – frightening and horrifyingly adorable as she wobbles towards him – and he stands up on instinct, “Minato Namikaze, you have exactly three _seconds_ to explain to me why I had to hear from Tsunade-sama that you took me off the hospital roster for maternity leave, _without telling me_!”

“Sakura,” he starts, attempting to placate her, and walks very slowly towards her, lest she decides to throw him out the window too.

“Don’t you _Sakura,_ me. I want answers!”

“You need to calm down, it won’t be good if you stress out and the baby—”

“Don’t use the _baby_ as an excuse for your cowardice!”

Minato winces.

“Should we come back at another time, Hokage-sama?” Another voice chimes in, his hand on the back of the redhead’s waist.

.

Sakura turns her head to look at their guests. One is a man with hair shinier than Neji’s, a soft pastel blue and gold eyes, and the other is a woman with fiery red—

_Oh._

Sakura stiffens.

Because Minato is _Minato,_ he sees and observes everything, and right now insecurity and self-doubt has _no_ place in Sakura’s body, in his _wife’s_ body. He straightens up and helps her into his chair.

“Sakura this is the Daimyo’s son, Daichi-sama, and his wife Kushina, er—Mikan-sama,” Minato introduces gently, his fingers brush the stray hairs at the back of her neck and press into the tendons.

She softens up a bit.

“Daichi-sama, Mikan-sama, this is my wife Sakura,” he concludes, “She is Tsunade-sama’s apprentice and currently the new Chief of Medicine in the new hospital in the Southern District that we are still developing.”

Kushina blinks, “You’ve gotten married,”

“Yes, almost a year now,” Minato smiles at that, his hand strokes the back of Sakura’s neck soothingly.

“And you’re going to be a father.”

“Yes,” Minato grins at that.

“I’m happy for you, Minato, Sakura-san,” Kushina smiles.

Sakura stills beneath his fingertips, then tenses her shoulders, and pulls out her most diplomatic smile, “It’s nice to meet you, Daichi-sama, Mikan-sama. I’ve heard from our representative that you will be starting a new trade draft with our international headquarters. It’s a good step in the new direction, I believe that we will benefit from our agreement despite the losses we took during the war.”

Daichi blinks at her, almost surprised by knowledge and background information. His smile is friendly and Minato isn’t sure if he likes it, “You’re very well informed, Sakura-sama. Whirlpool still has lots of construction and repairs to oversee, but we believe with our newest agreement as well as our new political system, we shall see new prospects and progress as time goes on.”

“Sakura has quite a bit of experience playing with politics, as an ambassador to Suna, an advisor in tactics and war veteran she has seen more things than she would’ve liked to,” Minato pauses and massages her neck with two fingers, “We all have.”

Sakura clears her throat, embarrassed by her husband’s sudden praise, “Is there a specific reason for this visit? If we knew the family of the Daimyo was arriving, we would’ve held a banquet in your honor.”

“They’re visiting, Kushina wanted to know why we haven’t gone to her wedding,” Minato answers for her.

“Oh. Well, after the war, there was an invasion,” Sakura says bluntly, “There was some fallout. We had to take care of it and then Kakashi had his ANBU exams.”

“Kakashi!” Kushina beams, “How are your students? I haven’t seen them in quite some time—”

“They’re fine,” Minato calms her, “They're out on a mission right now, their ETA is still up in the air.”

“They’ll be _fine,_ Minato,” Sakura rolls her eyes, “Our kids are more than capable of handling it.”

“I still worry,” he admits sheepishly,

She squeezes his chin with affection, “I know,”

“And the reason I took you off the roster is because you need to focus on the new hospital,” Minato starts quickly before her temper starts to kick in, “You’re getting closer and closer to your due date and you shouldn’t be running around so much. I know you’ll get bored, but think of how much gray hair you’ll stop from sprouting on my head, hm?”

Sakura frowns as logic takes over, her embarrassment flaring, and then it drops the second acceptance takes in, “You need to stop being rational, it’s making it harder for me to argue with you.”

Minato chuckles and presses a kiss to her hair.

Kushina stares at the picture in front of her. Minato was never affectionate with her in public, _ever._ He held her hand at times, but he would never kiss her or touch her, even absently. He always held a sense of reverence, restraint, and propriety between them. She had thought that he was embarrassed or uncomfortable showing his affections towards her in public, but he wasn’t with _her._

And he was going to be a _father._

It’s like the world had stopped spinning.

Kushina shakes her head, even though there is that tinge of regret inside her for leaving things as they were, she is still happy and wishes nothing but the best for Minato; after all he _did_ save her.

.

“ _Oh_ ,” Sakura winces once they left the tower, she rubs her stomach gently, “That was a hard kick.”

“He’s still active?” Minato places a hand on her back and they walk slowly to their home.

“He’s sparring, most likely,” she snorts, “Always jumping around and moving.”

“He takes after you,” he grins.

“You mean _you_ ,” Sakura sniffs and leans into him, “Can’t stay in one place for too long, hm?”

“It’s almost time,” Minato reminds her, “Kushina bought a toy for him, just before they left to go back to Whirlpool. I left it on my desk.”

“She’s beautiful,” Sakura remarks absently, quietly.

“Who? Kushina?” Minato blinks confusedly and then shrugs, blue eyes crystals and sapphires, “She is, I suppose,” but then his fingers tangle in pink locks, “But I prefer softer colors.”

“I see Jiraiya-sama needs to write a new book,” Sakura huffs, “Your compliments are worse than your flirting.”

“It wasn’t that bad!”

“Page fifty-seven, when Junko enters the Rusty Nail and—”

Minato kisses her on her open mouth.

.

“You’re really…big, Sakura-sensei,” Obito remarks with wonder as he stares at her on the couch.

“Are you calling me, _fat?_ ” Sakura scowls into her ice cream.

The Uchiha quickly shakes his head.

“He’s calling you flabby,” Kakashi adds in helpfully.

And Sakura’s eyes well up with tears, “Minato!”

Minato, who is in the kitchen with Rin, molding riceballs, takes one look at Sakura’s face and then glares at his students.

Kakashi has the nerve to grin, cheekily.

Even though Obito slaps the back of his head.

.

Sakura’s water breaks three days before Mikoto and Fugaku’s wedding anniversary.

“Do you have my bag?” Sakura asks and changes into a simple day dress.

“Yes,” he throws the rag full amniotic fluid into the sink, “And for the love of God, wear a _jacket._ It’s fall!”

“It’s hot!” Sakura hisses, “And I’m in _labor._ ”

“What if the baby gets cold?”

“He hasn’t even left the womb!”

.

Minato is on the verge of a nervous breakdown. He paces furiously outside of the hospital room, Hokage robes fluttering behind him and a nail in between his teeth. His students watch him with an owl-wide gaze and Shikaku is the one to talk some sense into him.

“Sit,” he says, “Drink,” he hands him a bottle of water, “Wait.”

“Easy for you to say, you had yours a few months ago,” Minato rambles, “But this is Sakura, she could probably shove her entire arm up her—”

“—there are _children_ here, sensei!” Obito squawks and cringes into Rin, who just rolls her eyes.

Then the door slams open, Tsunade calls out, “Minato, we’re ready for you. Go into the spare room and scrub up.”

.

“I _swear_ to God this baby has your _head,_ Minato!”

“It takes two to—”

She breaks a few fingers.

.

Eighteen hours, many broken phalanges later, Sakura’s son is brought into the world by a very loud scream and Minato’s tears.

She’s glad, she’s cried enough this entire pregnancy.

.

“He’s beautiful,” Sakura stares at her son sleeping on her breast, fingernails the size of a half-grain of rice, scrape the underside of her chest.

“I’m so proud of you,” Minato plants butterfly kisses all over her face and looks at his son with pride, awe, and adoration, “What should we call him?”

He has a shock of blonde hair but has yet to open his eyes.

“Naruto,” Sakura smiles as his eyes widen.

Tsunade walks in with a clipboard, “Naruto? Like from Jiraiya’s book?”

_The Tale of the Utterly Gutsy Shinobi._

Fitting, isn’t it?

“Yes,” Sakura turns to grin at Minato, “After all, it’s what brought us together.”

.

The clock strikes twelve. 

.

And Naruto’s eyes are of sea-foam, ocean, and moonlight.

.

_Thank you for reading :)_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's that!  
> Catch me on Tumblr @whisperedsilvers  
> See you in the next one! xox

**Author's Note:**

> please drop a comment on your way out x


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